MEET US
KNOW YOUR FARMERS
Root Down Farm is a family owned farm run by Steve and Erin Blabac located near the heart of Clarence Center. We raise about 10 acres of vegetables each year to serve the CSA and wholesale restaurant accounts.
ABOUT THE ROOT DOWN
The farm was started in the spring of 2011 with 50 members and has now grown to serve 300. The farm was moved to it's current and lasting location in 2013. The farm consists of leased land throughout the town of Clarence; some of which is protected by the Western New York Land Conservancy.
Root Down Farm is dedicated to bringing people together as a community to support local agriculture by growing safe, fresh and nutritious food. We value and protect the soil while celebrating the bounty it provides. Our CSA is a place for community members to nurture their support for the land that supports us all.
We grow all of our crops without the use of conventional, synthetic or artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. The farm grows many varieties of vegetables, using a careful rotation of crops to help mitigate pests and disease. We also use cover crops to build soil health, as well as organically approved compost, compost from our own vegetables and local composted manure.
We also strive to minimize our dependency on natural resources. We have converted one of our tractors to run on an electric motor. We also use drip irrigation because it uses a minimal amount of water, and also loses a minimal amount to evaporation. Lastly, we have converted one of our cultivating tractors from a gas tank to an electric motor.
We have taken the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) Farmer's Pledge. The Farmers Pledge seeks to describe sustainable practices in a document that growers can attest is an accurate description of how they farm. It serves as a bridge between consumers and farmers who value healthy food, strong local economies, fair working conditions and wages, the humane treatment of animals, and care of the land.