About Us

Lauren and Zach met in their Greenhouse Management class at the University of Rhode Island from which they both graduated with bachelors degrees in Plant Science. Both worked on various farms throughout college and they started farming together the year after graduation. They currently farm on the historic Borders Farm property, a 200 acre community land trust. Zach is the farm manager of Borders Farm and the two live in the caretakers cottage. Behind the cottage is a hayfield plot allotted to Lucky Dogs Farm where they have a greenhouse, several hoop houses and field space for the veggies. Recently they have added a cut flower field at Lauren’s parents farm in West Greenwich. These blooms primarily go to farmers markets around the state. Perhaps the most important members of the team are the farm dogs. Cleo lives with Lauren and Zach and is very serious about her job. Ginger is the queen of the flower field and can usually be found napping in a sunny spot.

We are not currently a certified organic farm however we do follow many organic principles. This includes keeping our soil healthy with lots of compost, crop rotation, and cover crops. We follow Integrated Pest Management, a tool that starts with variety selection for plants less likely to succumb to disease. Additionally we grow a diverse group of plants in the field and ensure that there is always something sweet flowering (such as Alyssum) to draw in native predators. Following that we use physical responses to pests including cultivation or flaming of weeds to reduce habitat for certain pest insects (such as aphids on lambs quarters). During regular field walks we monitor the crops for pests but also for native beneficial insects that flock to a field managed in this way. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the eggs of a Lacewing (a voracious eater fond of aphids), or those of a parasitic wasp laid on a tomato horn worm.

We use a variety of techniques to manage soil health and weed control in our fields. This includes chopping and tarping to terminate cover crops and cash crops, seeding hot season cover crops between spring and fall plantings, flame weeding before seeding or planting, and cultivating with our Allis G tractor. This little orange 1948 tractor has slender tires set far apart and a great turning radius. With the engine mounted behind the driver the cultivating tines are belly mounted, allowing the driver to watch the crop between their feet and steer accordingly. Weeds must be caught early with all these techniques but each can be major labor savers when done right.