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Healthy Soil is Living Soil
The Farm
Finland Farmers Market
Round River Farm grows hundreds of varieties of vegetables including: lettuce, spinach, mixed greens, romaine, scallions, radishes, chard, kohlrabi, bok choi, carrots, cilantro, turnips, beets, pea pods, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, basil, zucchini, summer squash, celery, beans, garlic, fennel, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, winter squash, pumpkin... and probably a few more. Every season varies in which crops thrive and which are sparse. We will occasionally be at the Finland Farmers Market, come share in the bounty!
Round River Seeds
Round River Farm is returning to our roots - growing
seeds. When we first came to Minnesota, we brought with
us over 500 seeds from the High Desert Research Farm
and started Shalom Seed Sanctuary. We found that
saving seeds while trying to establish a commercial
vegetable farm was not realistic. Over the years we
have dabbled in seed saving and this year we are
starting our seed production efforts. We have divided
our field into ten sections and have reoriented the crops
we are growing to allow for varied pollination distances for genetic purity between varieties. We are growing varieties that may take a year or two of production to get to the quantities that will enable us to offer these locally adapted selection to the general public. Contact us for availability!
The Rhubarb Preservation Project
We affectionally refer to this endeavor as our "Rah! Rah! Rhubarb!" project. This effort works to maintain the genetic base of this unique food plant that thrives in northern climates but is under-appreciated in modern agriculture. Over 2,000 years ago rhubarb was found in the western and northwestern provinces of China and the adjoining Tibetan territory where it was originally cultivated for its medicinal qualities. Since the 18th century, it has been grown for eating. Rhubarb is commonly referred to as a fruit, but it is actually a vegetable. It is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber and initial tests have found that it can lower cholesterol. We currently maintain samples of 44 of the 162 known varieties of rhubarb. Occasionally, when we divide crowns, some are available for other interested growers. Contact Us for more information.
Round River Tree Seedlings
Round River Farm is taking on a new enterprise, growing
climate forward tree seedlings for a new Farm and Forest Growers network, part of a Forest Assisted Migration Project in collaboration with the Northeast RSDP Extension, University of Minnesota Duluth, The Nature Conservancy and others.
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The Northwoods are experiencing dramatic change, and many northern tree species are dying. Within 50 years, without any intervention, researchers predict that the landscape in northeastern Minnesota will become mostly open grasslands. If this happens, our regional economy, culture, wildlife and all that depend on the forest will be permanently changed.
The Forest Assisted Migration Project (FAMP) is attempting to address these challenges. FAMP aims to re-establish a resilient northern forest and bolster the regional economy by: expanded genetics in seed collection, creating a local growers network and selling the better adaptive tree seedlings to the Nature Conservancy and others who will be planting them throughout Northeastern MN.
