Welcome to Brokenwood Acres!
We began with a simple goal in mind: to cultivate high-quality produce for our community and ourselves. Established in 2024, Brokenwood Acres began as a hobby and has since become a full-time gig.
Growing up with Gardens:
Owners, Martin and Kristin, both grew up surrounded by gardens. Martin’s family grew their own crops out of necessity to feed their large family, but it sparked an interest in growing that led him and his four brothers to work at Clyde Weber’s Oak Hill Nursery during their adolescent years. Meanwhile, Kristin’s childhood was filled with memories of family gardens, often accompanied by the joy of homemade wine. After they married, they continued gardening, despite having a small backyard. They enjoyed growing together and sharing with their neighbors.
Brokenwood Acres Start:
The dream was always to have more property, and the magic began when they purchased the 14 acres that is now Brokenwood Acres. Martin and Kristin immediately added fruit trees and a garden that has grown bigger and bigger each year. Today, they are both ecstatic to be spending their time on the farm full-time (recently retired). While Kristin is not a fan of the insects or the heat, her contribution to the farm’s success is immeasurable. She’s out in the sun almost daily alongside Martin and jokingly calls her contribution “unskilled labor”. Martin, a retired teacher and Marine Corps veteran with over 26 years of teaching experience, leads our efforts in sustainable agriculture. His background in industrial arts and technology education drives their commitment to innovation as they continually explore new methods and techniques to enhance their growing practices.
Introducing Zelda:
No mention of Brokenwood Acres would be complete without introducing Zelda, our beloved four-legged farm inspector! With her keen nose for quality and her ever-wagging tail, she ensures that everything on Brokenwood Acres meets her paw-some standards. Zelda is more than just a pet; she’s an integral part of our team (and family!). She reminds us daily of the importance of quality and authenticity.
Our Philosophy:
We are far from a textbook farm.
Brokenwood Acres is being built from the ground up through experience, observation, research, and a deep respect for the land. We work from the heart, question what we put into our farm, and pay attention to what the land tells us.
The “Brokenwood” in Brokenwood Acres means something. Woodchips are a foundation of our soil-building system. We use them for mulch, composting, and building organic matter because we believe the wood and plant material that come from the land can become part of the soil that sustains it. Along with leaves, vegetable matter, and other carefully selected organic materials, our farmer-made, manure-free compost is part of our effort to build healthy soil rather than simply feed a crop.
We are working with heavy clay soil, developing permanent growing beds through organic matter, broadforking, and reduced soil disturbance. Our goal is to improve soil structure, aeration, moisture management, biological activity, and long-term fertility while progressively reducing the need for mechanical disturbance.
We watch the farm closely. Earthworms, fireflies, praying mantises, toads, plant communities, decomposition, soil structure, moisture, and crop response all tell us something about the ecosystem we are building. These observations don’t replace scientific testing, but they are part of how we understand our land. Soil testing has value, and we intend to incorporate it as resources allow, while recognizing that a developing farm must prioritize limited time, labor, and resources.
We question our inputs.
Not because we believe everything natural is automatically safe or everything synthetic is automatically harmful, but because precaution matters. Research continues to reveal new information about agricultural chemicals, their metabolites, environmental persistence, biological effects, and the materials that enter our food systems. We believe it is reasonable to ask questions and reconsider practices as knowledge develops.
We are in our fields every day. The environment we create for our crops is also the environment where we work. For us, soil health, crop health, environmental health, and the well-being of the people working the farm are connected.
We don’t believe we have to accept an input simply because it is conventional, approved, or commonly recommended. When practical alternatives exist, we would rather choose the approach that minimizes unnecessary inputs and works with the natural systems already present on our farm.
We are far from a textbook farm. We work from the heart. We question what we put into our soil, we keep learning, and we choose precaution when we can. The wood breaks down, the soil builds, the farm grows—and we share what we grow.
Certification and Growing Practices:
Brokenwood Acres is proud to be on track towards certification as a natural farm. We meticulously oversee every aspect of our growing process to ensure we are not introducing synthetics (items such as white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, even Clorox are synthetically made) at any stage, from water to pesticides to fertilizers. By working with nature, we’re able to cultivate food that’s as pure and natural as possible. We’re ensuring the health and well-being of our community and the environment.
Values:
- Pure and Natural: Everything we sell is nurtured on our farm, ensuring the highest quality and purity. Our produce is free of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, and GMO seeds.
- Organic Practices: We prioritize safe, organic methods and avoid the need for pesticides. We do this through companion planting, crop rotation, proper water management, and careful pruning and removal of unhealthy plants.
- Soil Health: We enrich our soil with composted wood chips and compost tea, eliminating the need for unnatural fertilizers.
- Environmental Consciousness: We minimize waste by repurposing materials and sourcing upcycled items for construction from platforms like Craigslist and Marketplace.
- Innovation and Improvement: Committed to continual improvement, we constantly seek new ways to enhance our farming practices while minimizing our environmental footprint.
Explore our farm and experience the difference today as we dedicate ourselves to meeting the evolving needs of our community while upholding our commitment to chemical-free, sustainable agriculture at Brokenwood Acres!