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Farm Happenings at Broadfork Farm
Farm Happenings for August 1, 2020
We're tempting you with a photo of food today rather than a usual photo of our plants or fields. This is how we love to eat this time of year: Piles of vegetables (raw and grilled) with protein and a simple sauce. You can see the whole write up of how our 13 year old child made this for our family1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 29, 2020
We're tempting you with a photo of food today rather than a usual photo of our plants or fields. This is how we love to eat this time of year: Piles of vegetables (raw and grilled) with protein and a simple sauce. You can see the whole write up of how our 13 year old child made this for our family1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 25, 2020
Dearest Farm Share Members -
We shared this on social media yesterday and owe it to you to also share here, as you are our community members eating food we grow each wee: We have swirling thoughts about how our country has mis-handled COVID-19 and the fall out for schooling, homeschooling, ma1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 22, 2020
Summer "fruits" (vegetables with seeds inside of them) are in their prime right now! Look for lots of options for Tomatoes, Eggplants, Sweet Peppers, and...the one fruit-fruit we grow: Watermelons! We are also rich from our harvests of Onions and Potatoes. The work days have been very long recently1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 18, 2020
COVID update: Virginia continues to do better than most other states, but we are continuing to take the pandemic very seriously and continuing to limit any activities any of us are involved in off the farm. All of our farm staff are all still completely healthy and also continuing diligent han1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 15, 2020
COVID update: Virginia continues to do better than most other states, but we are continuing to take the pandemic very seriously and continuing to limit any activities any of us are involved in off the farm. All of our farm staff are all still completely healthy and also continuing diligent han1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 11, 2020
July sees us getting the last of the root vegetables out of the ground (carrots, beets, onions) as well as taking great care to keep leafy greens healthy to harvest as much of the summer as we can (lettuces, salad greens, rainbow chard). It is hot, folks! Our harvest tubs get heavier as we haul in1 read more »
Farm Happenings for July 8, 2020
July sees us getting the last of the root vegetables out of the ground (carrots, beets, onions) as well as taking great care to keep leafy greens healthy to harvest as much of the summer as we can (lettuces, salad greens, rainbow chard). It is hot, folks! Our harvest tubs get heavier as we haul in1 read more »
Remember Tomatoes are separate from the green boxes!
We never know what the weather has in store for us, and so we often describe farming as Professional Gambling, albeit agrarian style. We are so grateful that the weather so far this season has been favorable. Easy weather alone doesn't make a farm, as soil is the foundation that drives everything e1 read more »
About the farm
Owned and operated by Janet Aardema and Dan Gagnon, Broadfork is a small family farm in Chesterfield, VA providing the metro-Richmond area with Certified Naturally Grown vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
We use traditional European methods of biointensive, raised bed production while maximizing soil and plant health for nutrition and sustainability. No synthetic/chemical fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, or fungicide is ever used in any part of the process of growing your food. Everything we sell is grown by us, and we farm full-time, supporting ourselves and our four children through our farm business.
Growing practices at Broadfork utilize only ecological methods: compost, cover crops, organic fertilizer, and minerals are used to feed the soil that feeds our plants. Raised beds are used to prevent soil-compaction, allowing for happier plant roots. We use organic potting soil and fertilizer, as well as amendments like fish emulsion and sea minerals. No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides are ever used on your food and we are Certified Naturally Grown (which follows the same national standards used for Organic Certification). We are also proud members of the Virginia Association for Biological Farming and Slow Food RVA. Janet and Dan both hold Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology from Davidson and Lafayette Colleges, respectively. Janet holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We both thrive on putting our biology backgrounds to use in a farm setting and share a passion for farm education.
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We use traditional European methods of biointensive, raised bed production while maximizing soil and plant health for nutrition and sustainability. No synthetic/chemical fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, or fungicide is ever used in any part of the process of growing your food. Everything we sell is grown by us, and we farm full-time, supporting ourselves and our four children through our farm business.
Growing practices at Broadfork utilize only ecological methods: compost, cover crops, organic fertilizer, and minerals are used to feed the soil that feeds our plants. Raised beds are used to prevent soil-compaction, allowing for happier plant roots. We use organic potting soil and fertilizer, as well as amendments like fish emulsion and sea minerals. No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides are ever used on your food and we are Certified Naturally Grown (which follows the same national standards used for Organic Certification). We are also proud members of the Virginia Association for Biological Farming and Slow Food RVA. Janet and Dan both hold Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology from Davidson and Lafayette Colleges, respectively. Janet holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We both thrive on putting our biology backgrounds to use in a farm setting and share a passion for farm education.