Rob Barossi, Event Marketing and Engagement Manager, Charles River Valley Properties, sat down with Aubrey Dority, Assistant Crop Manager at Powisset Farm to check in on her second season growing vegetables for the Powisset and Weir River Farm CSA, as well as providing fresh and healthy food for our Mobile Market.

This is your return to Powisset Farm. What made you want to return?

My first season working here was my first time farming, ever, and I absolutely loved it. I had opportunities to learn about all aspects of farming, and exceptional mentorship. I truthfully struggled to convince myself to leave in the first place, but I did want to try farming at different scales and get familiar with different techniques so that I had some more context. After a year away, I still felt that I’d been very lucky to find Powisset, and I was given a chance to return and keep growing as a farmer. I’m overjoyed to be back!

What is special to you about Powisset Farm?

It’s a little cheesy, but I really have never felt more part of a community. I was so happy to come back and see familiar faces not just on the farm team but among our volunteers, CSA members, and neighbors. Each of those people takes pride in the farm and puts a lot into helping make it even better, and it’s a beautiful place to begin with.

When you came back this year, how did you spend your first days and weeks?

I came back before it was warm enough to do much in the fields, so I spent some time learning from Tim about the crop plan for the season and figuring out some of the field preparations we’d need to do for each crop. We were seeding in the greenhouses with volunteers every week, so I got to know the volunteer team, and we also put some work into preparing our tractors and equipment for the upcoming season.

What are some things we are growing this year that you are excited about? Why?

I get a little smug about the varieties we grow that are different (better) than what you’d find at grocery stores, like all the cool types of fresh onions that we’re growing and the ridiculously sweet melons. The pick-your-own in general is going to be amazing, but I’ve been hearing great things about Padron peppers specifically so I’m looking forward to those. There’s also going to be eucalyptus among the flowers, which I’ve never seen growing on the East Coast!

What are some things you are learning during your time at Powisset?

There are so many factors that go into making decisions on a farm, some of which I still don’t even know about, so I’ve been slowly learning how to pay attention to my surroundings at a deeper level than I’ve ever done in the past. I’m also learning from the people around me how to be a better coworker and a resource to my team.

Do you cook at home? If so, what is something you like to cook with the fresh veggies that we grow at Powisset?

I love to cook! I always get really excited as crops come in, and want to cook with whatever is most recently in season, so it’s hard to narrow down the recipes. This winter I finally figured out how to enjoy cabbage, which is a great feeling because now I’ve sort of ‘unlocked’ a vegetable that previously wasn’t my favorite. I found a recipe for cabbage pasta where you caramelize the cabbage like you would an onion, until it breaks down into this sweet, nutty coating for the pasta. Now I use caramelized cabbage in everything.

What does Community Supported Agriculture mean to you?

Community Supported Agriculture is a simple way for a town to source its food locally. There are so many reasons that people would want to do that- but it still makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy, as someone who works on a farm, to know that the surrounding community values the work I do and sees real benefit from having a farm in their neighborhood.

What is special or unique about a CSA?

I’ve been involved in community supported agriculture on both the farming side and the eating side, and from both perspectives there’s nothing like it. On the eating side, it’s almost like getting a gift every week of produce that you know is in season, local, and grown in a responsible way. I love going to farmer’s markets, but it’s always such a production for me to choose between all the different varieties of produce and all the different farms selling the produce, and it can be overwhelming! A CSA feels curated; I could slowly gain familiarity with less familiar vegetables or varieties without having to wildly guess which ones I should try. From a farming perspective, a CSA relieves some of the risk that crops won’t sell after pouring a whole season of time and resources into them, which can be devastating. It lets us focus more on growing great crops instead of on distribution. It also lets us grow relationships with community members who come to the farm regularly throughout the season, or even throughout multiple seasons. Those relationships help make the farm a source of community connection and pride, not just a source of food, which I think is incredibly special.