JP Fields and his partner Cheslee at their booth at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market.
After getting their feet wet working at several local farms including Lunar Rhythm Gardens in Janetville, JP and his partner Cheslee have set up their own organic farm on Moore Dr. They are weekly participants in the Millbrook Farmers’ Market that operates on Sunday at the Millbrook South Cavan Public School that will operate until the end of October.
JP is a relative newcomer to farming, having grown up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began to move north with his family, stopping in California to study philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, (UCSC)and eventually moving to Canada, where they purchased the farm in Cavan in 2020. JP had acquired some experience volunteering on small farms in the US to fund some travel, and extended his farming expertise by earning a Permaculture Design Certificate. In his studies he was introduced to the concept that farmers can work with nature instead of against it, and has come to see farming as a sacred activity. Today JP and his partner Cheslee produce a wide variety of fresh vegetables and eggs following a no-till and pesticide-free production processes and ecologically sensitive farm practices. Their objective is to produce food that is clean, healthy and full of nutrition.
The pair participate in the Peterborough Farmer’s Market on Saturday and the Millbrook market on Sunday. They also offer a Community Supported Agriculture program where members signup to receive a weekly package of freshly-harvested produce for an up-front fee. Field’s Farmstead CSA customers receive a weekly email listing products available that week. Customers provide a deposit of$400 at the beginning of the season which translates into a $500 credit for produce allocated at a rate of $25 each week. There is no minimum purchase each week, but customers are advised to spend the entire credit as they expire each week. Produce can be picked up on Monday or Friday at the farm on Moore Drive or at either market.
They produce greens including spinach, kale, chard and Bok Choi, tomatoes, peppers, turnips, potatoes and herbs. Occasionally they supplement their produce with items they do not have from Lunar Rhythm Gardens, such as sweet potatoes, or when there is a shortage due to unexpected weather.
Cheslee transforms some of their products into herbal teas, incense, skincare and bath products. She also offers hand embroidery, custom sewing and mending services, handmade jewelry and other craft items.
To learn more, drop into their booth or visitwww.fieldsfarmstead.com.