Vegetables
Cultivated with Care.
Riverwood strives for fresh, delicious, and the highest quality vegetables. We use low-till techniques that help preserve soil quality. We never use herbicides or pesticides and only use natural methods of farming. Helen Sites is our main grower and has been with Riverwood for the past 20 years working on the property, however, the farm only started producing vegetables in 2021.
What do we do different?
At our farm, we prioritize sustainability and environmental stewardship. As we work towards our organic certification, we employ practices like cover cropping and low-till methods, which help to enrich the soil, conserve water, and minimize erosion. By avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides altogether, we ensure that our produce is free from harmful chemicals, promoting healthier ecosystems, and providing you with safe and nutritious food.
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“Cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem—an ecological system managed and shaped by humans”.
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“Low till refers to an agricultural planting practice - generally using a "planter" or "seed drill" - in which disturbance of the soil is kept to a minimum. The structure of the top-soil which determines the water-holding capacity of the soil and the ease of new plants to put down roots is thus preserved”.
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“Herbicides and pesticides can harm non-targeted organisms, including beneficial insects, birds, and mammals, disrupting ecosystems and biodiversity. Additionally, these chemicals can contaminate soil, water sources, and even enter the food chain, posing potential health risks to humans. The excessive and indiscriminate use of herbicides and pesticides contributes to the development of resistant pests and weeds, leading to the need for stronger and more harmful chemicals in the long run”.
