Meet Modern Farmer’s Guest Instagrammers: Four Root Farm

Experimentation and hard work go hand-in-hand for the four thirty-something friends who own Four Root Farm, located in south-central Connecticut. They are all equal partners in the business, own the farmland collectively, and reside together on the farm where they grow more than 250 varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers on 13 acres.

Their tendency towards the uncommon goes beyond their farm setup and into some of the types of produce they love to grow.

“Though it takes time, a rigorous organizational strategy, an affinity for experimentation, and a sense of adventure, we’re committed to growing a unique and varied crop of highly unusual, and highly delicious, veggies for our customers and for ourselves,” says 30-year-old Caitlin Taylor. “We’re endlessly fascinated by the beautiful shapes and colors and tastes of heirloom and uncommon veggies, and recognize the high price that our ecosystem, our health, and our food system will pay if those varieties are lost.”

Besides the more common vegetables found at your local grocery store or farmers market, the produce grown at Four Root Farm are what Caitlin calls “fringe stuff,” such as “Shishito peppers, ghost chilis, Mexican sour gherkins, okra, fairy tale eggplants” and “a rainbow of gnarly tomatoes – the weirder, the better.”

Four Root Farm’s owners, from left: Elise Cusano, Rachel Berg, Aaron Taylor, and Caitlin Taylor. Courtesy of Four Root Farm

Caitlin, her husband, Aaron Taylor, 31, along with Rachel Berg and Elise Cusano, both 30, practice intensive small-scale agriculture that “supports the farmers and minimizes mechanical inputs.” While this is their first full season on their own land, the four first-generation farmers previously farmed on rented property and had worked for other farms for several years before becoming landowners.

Besides farming, Caitlin holds down a day job as an architect working on water infrastructure and flood prevention at an urban scale. The others have equally varied and interesting backgrounds: Elise studied literature and was a farmers market manager; Rachel worked on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and attended the University of Vermont’s Farmer Training program; Aaron worked in immigration law, studied political science, and sang professionally in early music choirs in New York City.

When asked why they decided to become farmers Caitlin says that they “really, really love growing food” and because they “believe that our produce sustains our community, our land, our selves, our soil, and our food system.”

Another thing they love is sharing recipes. Caitlin says they work hard to make time to cook, eat, and savor the food they grow, and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So in the spirit of sharing, here’s a link to a database of some of their favorite recipes.

Courtesy of Four Root Farm