I had the opportunity to pay a visit to Anything Grows organic farm and nursery in Salisbury and meet with Rijk Gupta and Maura Desfosses. Rijk and I studied Plant and Soil Sciences at UMass-Amherst and were inspired by professor Allen Barker to advocate for and practice organic methods. After graduating from UMass, Rijk earned his MS in Mycology. Maura studied and worked in business management.
They purchased the Herb Farmacy fiveyears ago and have been expanding production each year. There are less scented geraniums grown now, but there are hundreds of plants offered in pots from the nursery area as well as field grown vegetables, eggs, phenomenal heirloom tomatoes and seasonal flowers offered as CSA. If you are interested in establishing your own organic vegetable, herb, or flower garden, these plant starts are offered in pots in the nursery area. Most garden centers do not offer organic plants for home gardeners. Community Supported Agriculture is a great way to invest in local agriculture by making a financial commitment in advance and later picking up the product during the growing season. Their seasonal flower shares range from Tulips to Dahlias divided into winter, spring and summer shares. This is a great gift idea especially for yourself!
They offer their produce at farmer’s markets in Lexington, Amesbury, Marblehead, and Exeter. The Salisbury nursery is open during the growing season (check web site for hours of operation). Farming is unrelenting from May-July – everyday – sun up to sundown. I developed an appreciation for the stressors that farmers endure while working for the USDA. Organic production is more challenging than ‘conventional’ and more costly. A farm must be certified ‘organic’ and pay to be certified. Because farms must be profitable, plant growth regimes are only one component of a successful
farm operation. Finance, a business plan, marketing and customer service are crucial factors.
Anything Grows encompasses 10 acres with 5 acres wooded and ~ 4 acres in production. Rijk describes the formula as Time+Space=Yield. All farm operations need to be efficient and we have a short growing season that includes pressures form insects, diseases, animals and weather fluctuations. Farming is not for the faint of heart…Rijk employs organic pest management such as nematodes to eliminate fungus gnats and rather than using inorganic fertilizers he uses mycorrhizal inoculant to increase yields.
Rijk and Maura have additional projects planned for the farm and the next is a farm stand located at 30 Elmwood St., Salisbury, MA. Visit their website https://www.anythinggrows-farm.com and please support local agriculture.
I’d like to thank Rijk and Maura for making time for me. I’d like to thank the people of Massachusetts who help to sustain UMass-Amherst and the college from which Rijk and I graduated which is rated as one of the best agriculture programs in the world.
Ida Wye is the principal of Ida Wye Designs, offering landscape design, consultation, implementation, and restoration. Ida was green long before it was fashionable. She is committed to creating gardens that heal our planet, one landscape at a time. Ida graduated from U. Mass. Amherst with a B. S. in Plant and Soil Sciences before working for the U.S. D. A. and teaching Horticulture. After studying Landscape Design at Radcliffe, she began working independently. She later studied Urban Forestry and Wetland Science. www.idawyelandscapes.com
