As part of our new “Meet Your Farmers & Makers” series, here is a Q & A with Mark Bascom (MB), grower at Owl Wood Farm. To learn more about this new vendor and their delicious and healthy, certified naturally grown produce, keep reading!
(SFM) Where were you born?
(MB) “New Hampshire”
(SFM) What was the first album you bought?
(MB) “Sublime”
(SFM) If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
(MB) “Tacos”
(SFM) What is your guilty pleasure (travel, food, recreation, etc.)?
(MB) “Travel”
(SFM) What is your favorite book?
(MB) “Where the Sidewalk Ends”
(SFM) If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
(MB) “3,000 BC”
(SFM) What does your perfect day look like?
(MB) “Today”
(SFM) If you could have dinner with anyone (past or present), who would it be?
(MB) “Joseph Campbell”
(SFM) How do you recharge?
(MB) “Sleep”
(SFM) If you could have a super power what would it be?
(MB) “To be able to communicate with all things”
More on Owl Wood Farm:
Owl Wood Farm is a new addition to the Saratoga Farmers Market this year. Only one year old, this farm is located in Cambridge, New York, and sits along the Owl Kill River. Tom Lapham discovered and purchased the abandoned 42 acre homestead in 2013, with the intent to collaborate with new farmers, in starting a farm that had access to quality land. Lapham placed an advertisement in the Common Ground Fair newspaper in Maine, inquiring for experienced growers. The advertisement sparked Mark Bascom and Lindsay Fisk’s interest, having managed and apprenticed on farms in the past.
Mark Bascom and Lindsay Fisk became the heart and soul of Owl Wood Farm. Last year, Bascom and Fisk were the only growers on the Farm. This year, they lightened their work load by hiring a seasonal intern who works from June to September. “We work about 70 hours a week, sometimes more; it is an all consuming lifestyle” Bascom said. However, Winter months are restful as they plan their next harvest for the coming season.
Fun Fact: While trying to come up with a name for their new farm, they kept hearing owl calls from the woods at night. Owl Wood Farm seemed to make sense. “The name had a good ring” said Bascom.
With these dedicated growers working around the clock, you can expect all of your produce purchases from Owl Wood Farm to be freshly harvested and Certified Naturally Grown. According to the Certified Naturally Grown Organization, “CNG producers don’t use any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or GMO seeds, just like organic farmers.” Owl Wood Farm makes great efforts to always have salad greens available at the Farmers’ Market, as well as the seasonal crops that come and go. “The harvest will be plentiful from here on out and we will have most of the 40 or so crops that we grow [available at the Market]” Bascom said. Some of these crops include: lettuce mix, arugula, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, radishes, scallions, onions, garlic, potatoes, kale, swiss chard, and lettuce heads.
Come visit Owl Wood Farm at the Saratoga Farmers Market and speak to these hardworking and dedicated farmers yourself! They are located under the main pavilion on Wednesdays, and the north lawn on Saturdays. Want more? Make an appointment to tour their farm or simply visit their website at www.owlwood.weebly.com
*Some Owl Wood Farm information sourced from their website, http://owlwood.weebly.com/
*CNG description sourced from Certified Naturally Grown Organization website, https://www.naturallygrown.org/
Interview Conducted by Saratoga Farmers’ Market Intern Emily May, August 15, 2015.
