"Food can be a vehicle for social change. It brings people together in a way that very few other activities can." Anim Steel
Our Growing Practices
Our sustainable farming philosophies are constantly adapting as we learn more and as we respond to the an ever changing farm environment. We are committed to growing diverse and unique crops following organic practices, aiming for the most flavorful and nutrient-dense end-product. We prioritize environmental health by using minimal tillage methods to foster living soils, creating thriving habitats for pollinator communities, and strive to strike a balance between human-scale, hand work and some mechanization. Many of the buzzwords used in the ‘sustainable agriculture’ movement do not necessarily feel authentic to us and we do not farm according to any single prescribed set of practices. We are excited about experimenting more with dry farming and collectivized farming models because our future requires that we figure out how to grow food in both changing social and ecological climates.
Our values
Biodiversity and seed sovereignty
To ensure a balance of exceptional taste and reliability in our crops, we source a mix of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties (click here for a brief breakdown of the difference between the two) with an emphasis on organically grown seed. We prioritize sourcing from local and regional seed producers and continuously strive to grow out new and old varieties.
Equity
We are a small team, but without our employees there would be no farm. We strongly believe that all farm employees should be paid a fair, living wage and treated with respect. We are always looking to improve our role as advocates for fair labor practices across the agricultural sector. We all should ask ourselves who touched our food and how those people were treated.
Equity also comes in the form of giving back to the community. Through a combination of donated time, money, vegetables, and other resources, along with accepting a variety of payment options for our CSAs, we are constantly asking ourselves how to strengthen and renew our mission for social justice and empowerment on our farm. We believe that everyone in our communities, no matter their life circumstances or identities, should have access to locally-produced, high-quality vegetables (what once might have been referred to as ‘chef’s quality’ produce.) We partner with Growing Gardens and Outside In to distribute the finest, tastiest, and freshest crops to all of our eaters.
Community Partnerships
We believe in cooperation over competition. We work with other food producers to provide staple goods to our CSA members through an online marketplace. Once you are a CSA member, you can add products from Campfire Farms, Laney Family Farms Beef, Fawn Lily Farm, Real Good Food, Kiyokawa Family Orchards, and Tostado Coffee.
We also love contributing to the wider agricultural learning community by participating in variety trials, community events, workshops and campaigns to get people excited about biodiversity and flavor!
Empowering Female Farmers
We are proud that our farm is powered by a majority queer, female crew and is a space that invites expression of all gender and sexuality identities. We take empowering female-identifying farmers very seriously by creating opportunities for personal growth and professional development in all areas of farming for our employees.
Mentorship
We learned farming the hard way: on our own! Therefore, we love to pass on what we have learned from over a decade of farming and share the realities of farming as a career by empowering our employees and aspiring farmers around us to develop their farming careers. Nothing makes us more proud than a past employee being empowered to start their own farm/garden project! We are also pass on knowledge by hosting Rogue Farm Corp classes on the farm, sharing knowledge with other farmers in the community, and participating in community events where we can share our knowledge.
To ensure a balance of exceptional taste and reliability in our crops, we source a mix of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties (click here for a brief breakdown of the difference between the two) with an emphasis on organically grown seed. We prioritize sourcing from local and regional seed producers and continuously strive to grow out new and old varieties.
Equity
We are a small team, but without our employees there would be no farm. We strongly believe that all farm employees should be paid a fair, living wage and treated with respect. We are always looking to improve our role as advocates for fair labor practices across the agricultural sector. We all should ask ourselves who touched our food and how those people were treated.
Equity also comes in the form of giving back to the community. Through a combination of donated time, money, vegetables, and other resources, along with accepting a variety of payment options for our CSAs, we are constantly asking ourselves how to strengthen and renew our mission for social justice and empowerment on our farm. We believe that everyone in our communities, no matter their life circumstances or identities, should have access to locally-produced, high-quality vegetables (what once might have been referred to as ‘chef’s quality’ produce.) We partner with Growing Gardens and Outside In to distribute the finest, tastiest, and freshest crops to all of our eaters.
Community Partnerships
We believe in cooperation over competition. We work with other food producers to provide staple goods to our CSA members through an online marketplace. Once you are a CSA member, you can add products from Campfire Farms, Laney Family Farms Beef, Fawn Lily Farm, Real Good Food, Kiyokawa Family Orchards, and Tostado Coffee.
We also love contributing to the wider agricultural learning community by participating in variety trials, community events, workshops and campaigns to get people excited about biodiversity and flavor!
Empowering Female Farmers
We are proud that our farm is powered by a majority queer, female crew and is a space that invites expression of all gender and sexuality identities. We take empowering female-identifying farmers very seriously by creating opportunities for personal growth and professional development in all areas of farming for our employees.
Mentorship
We learned farming the hard way: on our own! Therefore, we love to pass on what we have learned from over a decade of farming and share the realities of farming as a career by empowering our employees and aspiring farmers around us to develop their farming careers. Nothing makes us more proud than a past employee being empowered to start their own farm/garden project! We are also pass on knowledge by hosting Rogue Farm Corp classes on the farm, sharing knowledge with other farmers in the community, and participating in community events where we can share our knowledge.
The 2022 wild roots farm crew line up
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Mary Colombo - Farmer/Owner/Manager
I have always kept a garden and I was previously a geologist before I made the jump to be a full-time farmer in 2009. In farming I've found my community. I love being the crew leader since organizing and getting shit done are kind of my things. My passion for farming is mostly driven by my love of cooking, good food, nourishing others, and a hard day's work. In my "spare" time I bake, read, run, go camping, snuggle with cats, watch bad TV, and travel. The vegetable I most relate to is radicchio. It's hardy and not everyone gets it. Most importantly though, they don't care how they are perceived by others - they still shine bright on the inside if you are willing to peel away some of the outer mucky layers. My goal for 2022 is to set boundaries and to learn to say "No for now" more |
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Brian Shipman - Farmer/Owner/Mr. Oddjob Fixit Guy
Farming is rarely easy, and the diverse challenges are what inspire me on the farm every day. I love working with plants and soils, and using our wide array of tools and techniques to produce delicious food. It's so rewarding to have a great farm crew to joke around with while working hard. My goal for this year is to bring more of our community out to the farm to experience the magic of the farm in bloom. Currently, I relate most to carrots because I'm slow to get started but worth the wait. |
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Talia Auskelis - Farmer/Soon to be owner/Silver Tuna
I worked for fifteen years in the hospitality industry—primarily in restaurants and cocktail bars in Portland. The events in and around Covid helped me see the chasm between the life I was living, and what actually mattered to me. I knew I couldn’t go back. In September of 2020, I had the good fortune of meeting previous employee Jami Epstein. She helped me weasel my way in to being on the farm under the guise of “volunteering", and then I pretty much refused to leave. What I love about farming is that it asks us to tell the truth, and look closely. It humbles us, and forces us to acknowledge how little we can control. It has imparted a depth of magic and gratitude to my days that I never knew was possible. It has taught me that we fail—over and over again—and that does not make us failures. It has given me the gift of falling in love with incredible people over seemingly tedious tasks like weeding kale, sorting carrots, and learning to drive tractors. Farming, and specifically the staff this season, have changed everything. Because that's what happens in a place that asks you to always tell the whole truth. The vegetable that most embodies me is celeriac. Maybe a bit of an ugly duckling, confounding to some, and often overlooked by those unwilling to look deeper or invest the time. But the ones who get it know: tender, versatile, unique, and worth the long game. l'd also like to think that those little green stalks and leaves are clapping at the beauty of the mountain and sky almost as much as I am throughout the long season. |
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Maya Robbins - Farm crew crew and tech support
I joined the Wild Roots Farmily in 2021 as a full-season intern through Rogue Farm Corps, and am now lending a hand weekly for the 2022 season. After getting a taste of farming and Wild Roots, there was no turning back for me. I love the community and environmental tending inherent to farming, and appreciate the (many) challenges in farming that make me into a better human and plant ally. I most relate to garlic because I need a lot of underground time resting my roots before emerging to offer deliciousness. |
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Anne Garsztka - Farm crew
Less than 60 years of top soil left! This fact was the catalyst that prompted me to completely re-think how I was spending my time, my money, my energy and the food I put on my family's table. Following in the advice of a dear friend who said..."do something, do anything because even the smallest action matters." So in 2019 I reached out to Mary and Brian and asked if I could come and work on the farm. I wanted to be closer to the food my family ate, learn from them the challenges our farmers face and be a part of a community who passionately cares about food and people and how to bring everyone together across the table. I'm now back for my second season and couldn't be happier. I most relate, not to a single vegetable, but to the seeds. These amazing powerhouses that transform from the tiniest of objects into vines and leaves and the vegetables we eat. I remember crying last year at the site of a single seed still holding onto a tiny transplant that eventually transformed into a sprawling vine of Delicata squash. The perseverance of plants and the honor of tending them is a very special place. |
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Alexandra Burton - farm crew
Bike racer turned farmer, I found Wild Roots during my very quiet pandemic summer, answering a personals ad: "Young chicory looking for someone to take home and put to bed." It was love at first sight. After volunteering almost every Wednesday that summer, Mary and Brian asked me back for the 2022 season as an employee. Overjoyed, I said YES! Farming has brought me full circle, as I worked on a small vegetable CSA on the East Coast in my twenties. Wild Roots is exactly where I need to be. I am always looking for more time with the earth, and to grow my knowledge of farming techniques, planning and plants in the Pacific Northwest. I most relate to chicory. Stunningly beautiful and a very multi-faceted creature, I have many layers and colors that show up in different ways. Sometimes off-putting, even bitter, and commonly misunderstood at first, once you take the time to bring chicory into your life, you will forever be changed. |
