Our dangling carrot? Social change

Oxbow is a farm with a social mission.

As our organically-grown non-profit turns five years old, we are poised to reflect upon our past successes and set a new vision with the goal of changing the world. Lofty? Indeed.  Measurable? Hardly.  But believing that social change is attainable is at the heart of everything we do here at Oxbow, from growing organic vegetables to propagating native species to connecting kids to the soil.  Our programming is based on valuing the land we work enough to protect and regenerate this precious natural resource. We are YOUR farm, and we want to share what we’re doing with you every step of the way.

Of course, you’ll find us farming, and we want to feed you all of this delicious food we’re growing, after all!  We’ve already begun to prepare the fields for 2015 crops and we’ve got plans to feed a whole lot of people this year. Our Community Supported Agriculture program has grown into a one-stop-shopping opportunity through partnerships with business friends like Pagliacci Pizza and Cupcake Royale as well as our add-on partners – local producers making products to stock your fridges and pantries so that your people are well-fed and so is our local economy.  We treasure our role as a large farm that can support other businesses doing the hard work of feeding our shared community real food using sustainable methods.

You’ll find us developing our own sustainable methods throughout our entire 100-acre property and continuing to focus on the restoration work that was at the heart of Oxbow’s founding 16 years ago.  We are incorporating new native hedgerows into our production fields in order to attract pollinators, provide habitat for beneficial insects and help us manage the spread of air-borne molds and mildews among crops.

You’ll find us in schools through the tail-end of winter, and then you’ll find kids (and hopefully some grown-ups along with them) on the farm all spring, summer and fall. Our field trips and summer camps encourage hands-in-the-dirt exploration, munching fruits and roots, and experiencing the true flavor of a carrot. Little ones are invited to Mission: Explore, discovering for themselves the life and magic hiding in unlikely places while older kids can Share the Peas at our special, “philanthro-pea”-based summer camp focused both on celebrating summertime abundance on the farm and considering ways in which we can give back to the community.

We’ve started off 2015 by working on a comprehensive 5-year Strategic Plan to help us clarify our mission and to keep us focused on the value of our work in the fields, through our partnerships, in schools and beyond. This year we’ll be sharing our aspirations and plan with the public and keeping you updated on what’s happening at Oxbow.

Spring will be here in t-minus 17 days.  There’s nothing like longer days and 25 acres of fields to prep to get you out of bed in the morning.  Stay tuned for weekly updates from our land and YOUR farm, and be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for real-time fun.