Member Monday Spotlight: Heart Beets Farm

It’s #MemberMonday, and today we’re getting down in the dirt with the crew at Heart Beets Farm in Berkley!

Heart Beets Farm is a Certified Organic vegetable farm, growing everything from spring greens to summer tomatoes and fall sweet potatoes to winter spinach on 36 acres. Roughly half of their produce goes direct to consumers through their CSA, available almost all year round, and the other half goes to wholesale customers including Coastal Foodshed and many other local farms.

Farmer and owner Steve Murray found his way into farming while studying physics at UMass Dartmouth. After an internship at Kettle Pond Farm, Steve felt a calling, falling in love with “the physicality of the job, the planning, the hands in the soil and most importantly the tractors.” 17 years later, he is still farming, the whole time doing so in southeastern Massachusetts.

Steve sees his role as a farmer as twofold: producing good food and protecting valuable farmland. With the steady loss of farmers and farmland, increasing hunger and food insecurity across the state, and ever more frequent challenges with climate change, Steve views farming as his way to make a difference. “ I feel like I am doing my small part,” he explains.

The CSA model is central to Heart Beets’ mission, and one that Murray is deeply passionate about. “I think CSA is the best way to get vegetables into your diet. You make a financial commitment and ensure that every week you have fresh vegetables in your fridge.” In his eyes, CSA is “the first step in eating better” because it guarantees healthy food in the house.

Supporting local farms like Heart Beets is critical to changing how we think about our consumption. “Having some understanding of what it takes to grow good food will change how you see food production, and the value you put on it and the people in the industry,” Steve explains. Many of our small and medium scale farmers work hard at being strong stewards of the land. Through practices like cover cropping, adding back depleted nutrients, using smart grazing methods and other practices, local farms are crucial to achieving a healthier planet and community.

More simply, as Steve sums it up, “Buying locally can help align yourself with the world we want.”

As a dad, Steve has found many ways to incorporate delicious vegetables in a way his sons will enjoy. “The kids and I really love cucumber boats – peel the cuke, slice it in half, scoop out any seeds to make a boat, fill with cream cheese and top with everything seasoning.”

SEMAP sends a huge shout out to the entire Heart Beets Farm team: Steve, Lauren and Stacy. Thank you for all of your tremendous work bringing fresh, local food to the Berkley area. We are thrilled to call Heart Beets Farm SEMAP members!

To learn more about SEMAP membership, head over to our membership details page. You’ll find information on the three levels of membership, benefits available, and details on how to join as a SEMAP member.