Healthy, Nutritious and Sustainable Food is Well Rooted’s Mission | Food | Fold | The Weekly Source

gFood for rowing in central Oregon doesn’t come by accident – the soil is poor, the seasons are short, and the weather is always a challenge. None of this deterred Scott Maricle, his son Frank and his stepdaughter Janelle from embarking on their dream of feeding the locals with locally grown food.

“Last year we got together and just thought, ‘What if we do this? This was the start of Well Rooted Farms, according to Maricle, who has been in the area since 1992. has been doing hobby farming and gardening projects throughout her life. Five years ago, he decided he needed to learn how to cultivate organically, which led him to study soils and regeneration practices and to discover the world of agronomy, the science of soil management. “I’ve reached out to people who know very well how to grow things, my goal being to grow the most nutrient-dense and flavorful food possible. In order to get healthy plants that can resist insects and disease. , I have to meet all the needs of the plant by nourishing it and developing the soil so that ultimately the soil can feed them everything they need. I want to grow healthy plants that don’t have no need for pesticides, ”says Maricle.

The local, sustainable, all-natural family farm started with three acres of tomatoes (a harvest that was extremely important last year as the Source reported in November) an acre of sweet corn and a few cucumbers. This year, they branched out and grew produce such as cabbages, carrots, beets, peppers, onions, potatoes, corn, squash, eggplants, watermelons and pumpkins. If you hurry, you can now choose a selection of these 100% locally grown vegetables at Well Rooted’s U-Pick location in Tumalo, which will be open a bit longer depending on the freezing conditions. Right now on the farm, “You can pick a 20-pound can of tomatoes in 3 minutes!” Exclaims Maricle.

Well Rooted also has a vegetable shed in Redmond stocked with fresh vegetables, which will stay open until there are no more local vegetables to offer. “Potatoes, carrots, beets and squash will be available for a while. We try to stay true to our definition of local, which means for now that we only offer what is seasonal and what we have cultivated, ”said Maricle. . “We want to be genuine. What you see is what we cultivate. When we fail, we fail.”

Half a mile from the U-Pick location, the Maricles have a large greenhouse with chickens roaming around it. These free-range chickens produce eggs that you can collect on the farm and in the vegetable shed. In the future, the variety of offers may expand. Maricle spends a lot of time going through seed catalogs and figuring out what people want. “People won’t be crossing town for a head of cabbage, but they will be crossing town for an incredibly sweet cantaloupe. Corn and tomatoes really bring people. Hope the strawberries are planted in time to be available next June. too.” Maricle continues, “There has to be a commercial element to continue, although I like to do it. This year is better than last year and we have moved it to a business from a hobby and we are in the dark. The bottom line is that if people don’t buy it, we can’t afford to grow it. ”

If you’re new to U-Pick, Well Rooted makes it easy for you. The farm is well signposted and easy to find, just off the main road. You will likely see Frank, Janelle or Scott working in the area when you arrive. There are signs with instructions and a rack full of baskets (in case you forgot to bring your own) and the rows and rows of veg you can choose from are right there and easy to access. Kids are welcome and you can even check out inside the small shed yourself and pay by credit card, cash, or even Venmo. As Scott Maricle says, “I grew up on a farm eating this way and I just think everyone should be able to eat fresh, out of the garden. We want to help people experience this and be able to taste what they are eating. ‘they choose and learn to benefit from vegetables. ”

U-Pick from well-rooted farms
65900 White rock loop, turn
Open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
wellrootedfarms.co

Well Rooted Farms vegetable shed
4700 SW 43rd St., Redmond
Open everyday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.