Pasture ,
REGENERATIVE FARMING HELPS ROOTBOUND BUILD RESILIENCE AND A POWERHOUSE OF PRODUCTIVITY TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.
Produce ,
by Zoe Rosenberg
photographs by Aditi Kannan
BEN ABELL AND BREE PEARSALL of Rootbound Farm have one major goal for the 350 acres they manage in Crestwood, Kentucky: to constantly regenerate the soil that helps sustain their livelihoods. The couple, who founded Rootbound Farm more than a decade ago, have leaned into that farming philosophy for their 50 acres of cropland, where they grow more than 45 types of produce, and their 300 acres of pasture, where Katahdin sheep and chickens roam. Their vision for the property has been clear from the start. “What we wanted to do when we leased this farm is, we wanted to become stewards of the entire landscape,” Abell tells The Rooted Journal. “We wanted to look at the entire landscape through a lens of regeneration and how we could steward and regenerate all of our soils — not just our crop soils.” The proof of their mission is in the certified organic produce, meat, and eggs they distribute at farmers’ markets in Louisville; to local restaurants and small grocery stores in nearby cities; to wholesale clients, including the distribution company What Chefs Want; and in their community supported agriculture (CSA) share, which Abell estimates makes up about 65% of their business. Like many small businesses, Rootbound didn’t hit the ground running. It has taken continual reinvestment and learning season by season to grow into the farm it is today.
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Purpose
Rootbound Farm’s commitment to regenerative agriculture means fresh, seasonal, and organic produce lands in their CSA boxes, which feed 800 members annually.
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