Lighthouse Gardens

We’re adding so many new varieties this year and we can’t wait to share them with you! I’m especially excited for these goji plants. They are growing so fast that we might even have to repot them before it’s safe to plant them outside. We’ll be adding all of these new plants to our online store soon and adding inventory of all of your favorites as they become ready for sale, so...stay tuned! Many herbs coming online next week! ... . . . #goji #gojiberries #superfood #kitchengarden #backyardgarden #locallygrown #roc #flx #onlineshopping See more

Can't wait to fire up our new pyroweeder from Farmers Friend this spring! We're looking to step up our carrot game even further. Even though the beds in our deep compost, no till, permanent bed system are relatively clean, we do find ourselves doing some hand weeding in our carrot beds because they take so long to germinate and don't like to compete with weeds. This will help us reduce the seed bank by burning off any young weeds that grow while we're waiting for the carrots to germinate. . . . #organicfarming #pyroweeder #farmersfriend #smallfarm #marketfarming #notill #permanentbedsystem #carrots #newtooltuesday

It smells absolutely heavenly in here! Rosemary is by far one of my favorite crops. I grew my very first crop of rosemary for our wedding favors nearly 20 years ago. These 1 gallon pots take a full year to grow before they are ready for their new home. They started off as cuttings from last year’s crop and the cuttings for next year’s crop have already been taken and now rooting in our propagation house. *Not so fun fact-> we nearly lost this whole greenhouse full of rosemary a couple of weeks ago when the power went out for a bit on a 17 degree night! . . . #rosemary #organic #certifiedorganic #herbs #roc #flx #organicgreenhousegrowing #greenhouse #supportyourlocalfarmer

Yesterday’s sun + a remote learning day makes for a beach day in the greenhouse . . . #greenhouse #beachday #farmlife #organicgreenhousegrowing #farmlifebestlife #remotelearning #greenhouseclassroom

We’re almost done planting our succulents for this Spring. We have so many new varieties to choose from this season! New this year...we’ll be adding each individual variety to our online store so you can choose exactly which ones you want. . . . #succulents #organicgreenhousegrowing #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #roc #flx #greenhouse #greenhouselife

The day these boxes arrive is even better than Christmas. This ginger is in ultra high demand. We missed out on ordering last season and are super excited to offer it again. We’ll have three varieties to offer this year! . . . #certifiedorganic #ginger #organic #bikerdude #aloha #hawaiigrown #marketfarming

September is looking delicious...and will continue to! Our frost sensitive crops made it through the past few nights by the skin of their teeth with just the slightest damage on the leaves of the most sensitive crops. I know it’s early yet but I’m already thinking about next Sunday as it’s already looking beautiful! Come out to the @brightonfarmers market and stock up on the very best that local market farmers have to offer! . . . #organic #veggies #certifiedorganic #eatlocal #eattherainbow #marketfarming #roots

This picture, taken last month, is a very late maturing variety named 'Malwina'. I've been wanting to experiment with growing strawberries since I've been making my living from farming for quite some time now to see if they make sense (and cents) for our crop plan. Strawberries played a large role in my decision to become a farmer. In the summer of 1998, I worked as a research technician for Dr. Joe Kovach at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES, now ...Cornell Agritech) who was Cornell's Small Fruit Integrated Pest Management Coordinator. Dr. Kovach was ahead of his time and was convinced that organic farming was a viable option for New York farmers, especially with certain crops suited to our climate and pest/disease complex. His specialty was strawberries. We conducted research on strawberry crops grown in a myriad of treatments: conventional, organic and control groups replicated over several popular varieties at the time. Our main focus was determining the potential yield throughout the different experimental treatments with regard to pest, disease and weed pressure. We collected and counted bloated slugs in beer traps, scouted for tarnished plant bug damage, dried plant material to determine plant mass, etc. Dr. Kovach was also a beekeeper and in my opinion, his most innovative experiments were with his bees. If you've grown strawberries, you've seen Botrytis, or grey mold, especially during a wet spring. Trichoderma, a fungus which is an opportunistic avirulent plant symbiont, protects the plant, both it's leaves and roots, in exchange for food from the plant. Instead of spraying the crop, Dr. Kovach had his honey bees do the work for him. He put trays, more like door mats, at the entrance of each hive. The honey bees would walk across the "door mat" carrying with them the Trichoderma spores to the flower of the strawberries where it was needed the most to prevent Botrytis damage. Anyhow, Dr. Kovach would spend rainy days inside a barn or the lab explaining to us the importance of how the USDA was about to define what the word organic would come to mean. He was the most "organic" researcher at the station at the time and was extremely passionate about the spirit of the term and would often lambast those who would have sewage sludge and irradiation allowed under the program. Two years later, the USDA would formally define the word organic and determine what would be allowed in organic agriculture for those that wish to be certified. I'm grateful for those rainy day lectures and for the fascinating world of organic agriculture they opened up for me. Now 22 years later, my 14 year old farm has been used as a location for Cornell's agriculture research on a couple of different occasions (including a super neat one this week) for which I'm proud to contribute to our scientific understanding of the natural world. Thanks for reading!

Do your laying hens get cuddles and have songs sung to them throughout the day? . . .... #farmlife #homestead #eggs #pastureraised #backyardchickens See more

Stellar garlic harvest this year! We harvested 2 weeks ago today and now it’s fully cured and sorted. Come get some this Sunday at the Brighton Farmer’s Market. . . . #certifiedorganic #organic #garlic #notill #regenerativeagriculture #permanentbedsystem #farmlife #marketgardening @ Lighthouse Gardens

Brighton Farmer’s Market customers have proved to be a resilient, adaptable and extremely supportive bunch! For the first time ever, we’ll be heading to market with a fully loaded trailer only to come back completely empty. Thank you for temporarily adjusting to our preorder/pickup system. We look forward to seeing you today! . . . #brightonfarmersmarket #roc #organic #certifiedorganic #farmersmarket #adaptiveresilience #buylocal #thankyouforyoursupport #growyourownfood

We’re really feeling the love from our customers right now! A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have adapted to our temporary way of connecting you with our plants and potting soil. If you are one of our @brightonfarmers customers and would like to pick up an order at the first market this Sunday, you still have time to order. We’ll be accepting plant and soil orders through Friday. . . .... #wehavethebestcustomers #organicgreenhousegrowing #certifiedorganic #organic #plants #herbs #pottingsoil #contactlesspickup #farmersmarket See more

If you are missing us at the Rochester Public Market these days and like to see your plants before you buy them, please know that you can find an enormous selection of or herbs and some of our veggies not too far away at @gardenfactoryny We just delivered thousands to choose from this morning! . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #plants #organicherbs #growyourownfood #organicgreenhousegrowing #buylocal #roc

A neat attribute of our preorder/pickup system is that one of our growers is selecting the very best from our crops to fill your order. Unlike a market where plants have been picked over by other customers, you’re getting the very best plant we have at the moment of the variety you’re looking for. In this case, we have a lucky customer who ordered one of our ‘Olympian’ fig plants for pickup tomorrow who will be pleasantly surprised to realize that they will have figs this year! . . . #organic #figs #certifiedorganic #olympian #therewillbefigs #organicgreenhousegrowing #buylocal #roc #flx #plants #growyourownfood

Alright Rochester! There’s no snow in the forecast, so it’s finally time to get gardening! Our greenhouses are loaded with over 200 varieties of our certified organic herb and vegetable plants as well as berries, succulents and potting soil. All are available now through our online store. Heirloom tomatoes, the hottest peppers on Earth, rainbow Swiss chard, dinosaur kale, dwarf patio tomatoes, unusual herbs, figs, nearly everything you might want in your kitchen garden. ...Order online for an easy contactless pick up at our farm or at the Brighton Farmers’ Market. We’ve been growing for Rochester area gardeners since 2006 and look forward to continuing to provide you with the best possible plants for your garden again this year when it matters the most. . . . #certifiedorganic #organic #plants #growyourownfood #victorygarden #kitchengarden #gardening #organicgreenhousegrowing #buylocal #roc #flx #eatyourveggies @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

Our virtual farm store is now open for business! Select from over 200 varieties of certified organic herb, vegetable and fruit plants to fill your kitchen garden. Inventory is live and we will be making new varieties available daily as they become ready with the largest selection expected to be available around Mother's Day. All orders will be prepared and staged for a non-contact pickup at our farm. Ordering instructions are on our website. Happy gardening! www.lighthouse-gardens.com . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #plants #veggies #gardening #growyourownfood #herbs #buylocal #supportsmallbusiness #roc #flx

Kate and I have been busy with an interesting farm project over the past few weeks. We’ve been repurposing some of the styrofoam coolers that our herb cuttings arrive in, into rearing boxes for Atheta beetles which are highly effective predators of many greenhouse pests. She’s been checking on them every day, feeding them and seeing if they need to be watered. Their life cycle is relatively short and we were able to split our first box into two. We’ll do this one more tim...e in a few weeks before distributing them to all of the greenhouses to release them. I’m grateful for the increased family time lately which has given me an opportunity to share so many more aspects and the inner workings of the farm with my kids. . . . #silverlining #farmlife #farmschool #organicgreenhousegrowing #familyfarm #resilience #roc @ Honeoye Falls, New York See more

I guess this is what working remotely in the greenhouse industry looks like. I just set up one of my employees with some seed sowing at home. New problems require creative solutions. . . . #farmlife #seedstarting #remotework #weareinthistogether #organic #veggies #plants #organicgreenhousegrowing #marketfarming

While we brainstorm new ways to conduct business and get our plants to our customers, the seed sowing marches on. My son’s contribution towards our need to keep up production with a reduced workforce has proved invaluable! With just one week of training for an hour or so a day, he has learned how to sow and take cuttings of nearly 100 different varieties with all of their individual requirements. His insatiable drive to improve the quality and efficiency of his contribution to the farm makes my heart swell with pride. . . . #farmlife #family #familyfarm #seedstarting #plantpropagation #organic #certifiedorganic #organicgreenhousegrowing #roc #hfl #victorygarden #veggies #weareinthistogether

I apologize for the radio silence over the past couple of weeks as I’ve been wrapping my head around our current situation and it’s eventual impact on me, my family, my employees, my customers, my farm, my community, my country and fellow human beings. There is a certain beauty that is born out of collective crisis. In between bouts of great anxiety, uncertainty and anger, I have witnessed so many examples of our adaptive resiliency, compassion and empathy for one another ...that I have cried more tears of joy this past week than I have in quite a while. The peaks and valleys of emotion are intense right now for everyone. Caring for plants has always been therapeutic for me and many others, especially now. Growing our own food will feed our sense of resilience and self-sufficiency while nurturing our spirit. I’ve been getting lots of calls, messages and emails lately asking if we plan on being open. Much of what we do here takes up to a year to plan. Making changes this far into the season is like steering a big ship, yet we will adapt. Farming has presented me with so many challenges through the years in practice for this event. As of yet, I can’t be certain that we will have our usual outlets like farmers’ markets and garden centers. The worst case scenario would be only selling out of our farm and I’m figuring out the logistics of that as to keep ourselves and our customers safe. To our CSA customers and anyone thinking about joining: thank you for having faith in our farm! We will be following through on our commitment to you. Growing veggies for you will be what keeps our farm humming until we see our way through this. To all of our customers: I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you for all of the support you have shown throughout the last 14 years. We will be here for you. I will be back soon with more updates. We will grow through this together! With much love. Todd Lighthouse #weareinthistogether

I love the way Alliums hold onto their seed coats after sprouting like little hats. Here we have chives, one of my favorite herbs. During asparagus season, we sprinkle chives on the top of one of our go to pasta dishes with goat cheese and roasted asparagus. Spring is coming! I can almost taste it! . . .... #chives #organic #certifiedorganic #organicgreenhousegrowing #plantbabies #seedlings #allium #herbs #springiscoming #roc See more

These chilly windy days lately make me really glad that we updated the back wall of our propagation greenhouse from a single layer of polyethylene to polycarbonate. Now there isn’t a cold spot in the back of the house and it will retain heat much better. I didn’t think that we were going to be able to squeeze this project in this year but Brody and I pounded it out in a single day in early January, a day before we needed to fire up the greenhouse for the season. I original...ly anticipated this greenhouse to be in my back yard for 5 years before moving it over to our main site but plans change and it continues to be extremely convenient to have my most important plant babies just a few steps from my back door so I can check in on them whenever I like. . . . #greenhouse #organicgreenhousegrowing #farmlife #offseason #organichorticulture #springiscoming @ Honeoye Falls, New York See more

Our fig cuttings are starting to take root! Figuring out a new crop is super exciting to me. After propagating millions of plants by seed and soft cuttings, I’ve only recently tried my hand at propagating woody plants. Once I honed my skills with our bay laurel plants over the past couple of years I wanted to move onto figs. So far, so good! What should I try next? . . . #figs #plants #plantpropagation #organicgreenhousegrowing #organic #greenhouse

Our patchwork of succulent plugs are just about ready to pot up! All of these were taken from our stock plants a month or so ago. We have a bunch of new varieties we can’t wait to share with you this season. Spring is in the air! . . . #springiscoming #greenhouse #organicgreenhousegrowing #succulents #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantbabies #roc #succulove #plantpropagation

This sunny day has me dreaming of fields of greens. . . . #lettuce #greens #farmlife #farm #organic #certifiedorganic #roc #flx #fbf #sunnyday #agriculture #regenerativeagriculture #notill

At least one of the machines that keeps our operation running so smooth in the spring gets a makeover in the winter. This year it’s our flat filling machine’s turn. It was due to receive a new chain bed, driveshaft, sprockets and bearings and quickly turned into one of those while I’m in here kind of projects so it also got a good grinding and a fresh coat of paint. Now she’s running super smooth again just in time to fill thousands and thousands of pots! #greenhouse #farmlife #offseason #bouldinlawson #flatfiller

There’s always one that marches to the beat of a different drummer. . . . #succulents #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #flowers #succulentflower #bloom #succulentsofinstagram #earlybloomer

There is an old saying in the greenhouse world that watering is the hardest skill to teach and the most difficult skill to learn and that the person who holds the end of the hose controls the quality of the crop. That’s why we start them young here at our farm. Back and forth, nice and easy, spending more time on the edges that dry out faster. Make sure the water is hitting the plants from above and not the sides so you don’t spread plant pathogens. Sometimes it’s better to water twice lightly than heavy one time and water just enough so you don’t leach out nutrients and waste water. I think Lauren is starting to get the hang of it! . . . #greenhouse #farmlife #kids #organickids #organic #honeoyefalls #organicgreenhousegrowing #plants #horticulture #plantsmakepeoplehappy #startthemyoung #mylittlehelper

Our organic certification application for 2020 is complete, all 54 pages of it...and two weeks before it’s due! While this process is time consuming, expensive and takes me away from working in the greenhouses, I appreciate all of the data I’m required to keep and the resulting insight that it provides. So, why get certified at all you might ask? We didn’t really need to at first because all of our sales were direct to our customers at farmers’ markets and we could explain ...our growing practices face to face with our customers. It’s always been our goal to get our plants in the gardens of as many people as possible and that meant selling them wholesale through our retail partners. The USDA organic logo on our pots convey to our customers the care and integrity with which we grow. While it does not convey all of the extra steps we do that are beyond organic and the OSB has largely been co-opted by corporate agriculture, it is the best standard we have at the moment. Other, more stringent standards that are more inline with the original intent of the organic movement are on the horizon and we’ll be keeping an eye on their progress. Anyhow, I’ll be celebrating the end of my paperwork season tonight with some skiing, a stiff drink and daydreaming about spending the remainder of these cold days in warm greenhouses! . . . #certifiedorganic #organic #NOFA-NY #farmlife #greenhouse #organicgreenhousegrowing #paperwork #seeyouontheslopes See more

We’re so excited to be adding some more bench space for this season. These expanded metal topped rolling benches are a perfect foundation on which to build more premium propagation space. We’ll be adding an automated misting system to this bench for this spring and they’ll both eventually get a hot water heating system to keep the soil nice and warm during propagation. . . . #greenhouselife #farmlife #greenhouses #plants #plantpropagation #rollingbenches

It always sounds like the end times when the snow starts quaking and rumbling before it slides off of the greenhouses in a big woooosh! Now the sun has a chance to come through and warm things up. . . . #snow #snowpocalypse #greenhouse #farmlife #letthesunshinein

On this cold winter day I find myself thinking about all of the ways I can display my succulents when spring comes. Our outdoor living space seems so empty without plants. . . . #fbf #succulents #succulentsofinstagram #succulentgarden #succulentaddict #plants #greenman #roc #flx

What a great day to move some bay plants into their new home! After overwintering in our cold house they are now moving into our warm propagation house to get cut back in order to promote new bushy, robust yet compact growth. These are among the easiest plants to keep as a houseplant...forgiving of both temperature and watering frequency. We keep one in our kitchen and just grab a couple leaves whenever we make a soup or stew. . . . #organic #organicgreenhousegrowing #certifiedorganicgrowers #baylaurel #bayleaves #sunnyday #farm #greenhouse #plants #plantpropagation

We’re super excited about our new organic potting soil bags! Our organic compost based potting soil is perfect for germinating seeds, container growing and amending your garden. Packed with the slow released, balanced fertility your plants need in a structure that provides optimum aeration and drainage. Keep an eye out for it at our local retail partners soon! . . . #organic #soil #pottingsoil #plants #growlikeapro #compost #thewisdomofnatureineverybag

We’ve got our work cut out for us with winter projects! I don’t necessarily prefer to build greenhouses in the winter but this is when we have the time to do it. We might not finish this one in time for this season because we have two high tunnels ahead of it in the construction schedule. It eventually will be our most advanced and automated greenhouse we have, which will be designed mainly for propagation. . . . #greenhouse #organicgreenhousegrowing #construction #winterprojects

I can’t get enough of the winter color on our Crassula ‘hobbit’ stock plants! This is one of my favorite succulents that we grow. We’re taking cuttings off of our succulent stock plants this week and we’ll get a bunch off of these! We’ll spare a few of these from the knife and expect to have some large specimen plants of these available in 1 gallon plants this spring. . . . #succulents #succulove #greenhouse #crassula #hobbit #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #roc

Introducing our new Salad Club CSA! Do rutabagas have you in a rut? Exhausted by all of the eggplant? Are you swimming in summer squash? Ours is a unique take on the traditional CSA or Community Supported Agriculture share. While traditional CSAs can challenge our taste buds and force us to be creative in the kitchen, our veggies need no introduction. The goal of our Salad Club CSA is to be as convenient and accessible as possible so as to reduce any barriers that may ex...ist between you and the very best local certified organic veggies available. For 20 weeks from June through October, we focus on providing you with a weekly curated selection of 6 to 8 certified organic veggies you eat the most of, which are often the ones you're likely to put in a salad. Think lettuce, tomatoes and carrots! . That’s not all...there are tons of unique member benefits included in your share purchase. . Sign up is live. Head on over to our website for all the details. See more

Here we go!!! The 2020 growing season has begun! While we grow stock plants of herbs and succulents year round, I’ve always considered the first batch of herb cuttings to be the beginning. Here we have thousands of rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme, tarragon and others that will be ready for your organic kitchen garden by mid-April. . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #herbs #organicgreenhousegrowing #plants #plantpropagation #rosemary #thyme #kitchengarden #2020 #smellslikespring

I have so much gratitude to all of our farmers market, farm store and wholesale customers right now as 2019 winds down. You all helped make this year our most successful yet! We’ve been busy working on making improvements to our existing greenhouses, getting prepared to build 3 more and making plans to venture into new outlets for our plants and produce. I’m super excited for this next growing season and am looking forward to sharing all of this new stuff with you soon, ...so stay tuned! In the meantime, I’ll be catching up with my wife and these three kiddos while fitting in as much skiing as I possibly can! . . . #farmlife #happynewyear #2020 #organicfarm #familytime #organicgreenhousegrowing #ourgrowingseasonstartsnextweek! See more

Need a last minute gift for those on your nice list? Our gift cards make a thoughtful gift for the discerning kitchen gardener or gourmet in your life. Certified organic plants, veggies, potting soil, succulents...all with one card. They never expire and are redeemable at our farm store as well as the @brightonfarmers market. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to get one to you before Christmas. . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #farm #giftideas #giftcard #christmas #stockingstuffers #veggies #organicplants #organicpottingsoil #succulents

Exactly 13 years ago on this day, we raised the bows of our first greenhouse which was very much the symbolic beginning of this journey that is Lighthouse Gardens. This was an enormous undertaking and assumption of risk that I would hesitate taking on today. I spent my life savings on this greenhouse and all of the supplies necessary to start our first growing season that would begin just 10 short weeks later with the arrival of tens of thousands of perennial, annual and he...rb plugs. In that short period of time, I had to construct and outfit the greenhouse, trench and hook up all of the utilities and install the environmental controls all while working a retail job 3 days a week. I vividly remember one particularly difficult day that December after getting nowhere digging the utility trench during a snowstorm, curled up in the fetal position on my living room floor wondering what I got myself into. I persevered through that rough moment as farmers do, better prepared to handle the inevitable subsequent struggles that I would and always will encounter. As this season comes to a close, I find myself reflecting how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to do what I love for a living, providing my community with organic veggies and plants for their own garden. I am deeply grateful to all of our customers for their support for our farm and look forward to many more bountiful seasons. #farmlifebestlife #organicfarm #throwbackthursday #greenhouse #livingthedream #smallbusiness @ Honeoye Falls, New York

Never have I ever...harvested zucchini and peppers off of completely unprotected plants in our market garden in November! . We made it through 3 or so frost advisories in October with minimal damage and then 3 more nights tickling 32 degrees after the weather service stopped issuing advisories. . It’s been a bit odd having expected to arrive to a frost bitten farm five or six times by now and even though I fully expect things to get frozen tonight it will still have that bi...ttersweet sense of transition that comes with the official end of our growing season. . I’m looking forward to sharing not only our last field harvested summer crops with our customers at the @brightonfarmers market this coming Sunday, but also the frost sweetened kale and carrots to be harvested later this week. . . . #organic #organicfarming #organicagriculture #regenerativeagriculture #farming #eatlikeafarmer #organicveggies #certifiedorganic #marketfarming #eatlocal #zucchini #peppers #roc @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

What does a greenhouse grower do when he forgets to get a corsage for his daughter on their first father/daughter dance? He makes one! I was able to throw one together right before we left with a few minutes to spare. Succulents to the rescue! Kate was super excited to know that hers was one of a kind. . . .... #succulents #succulentsofinstagram #succulentcorsage #corsage #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #fatherdaughterdance #hfl #greenhousegrowing #horticulture @ Honeoye Falls, New York See more

I’ve shared recently some of the techniques we’ve adopted in our no-till permanent bed system. All of these support our ultimate goal of building habitat for soil microbes. . These beds were covered with silage tarps for the bulk of the summer. After removing the tarps, the beds are raked, broadforked and amended with peat and compost. The walkways are chipped with ramial wood chips ahead of sowing a cover crop. .... I chose to sow buckwheat in these beds which will die back after a freeze before going to seed leaving the roots in place for food and habitat for the microbes. . These series of pictures demonstrates how quickly this crop grows to develop a canopy preventing anything else from establishing in the bed. Buckwheat is a fantastic cover crop for adding a lot of organic matter to the soil in a short period of time. All of these pictures were taken within 2 weeks time from 9/14 to 9/27!!! . . . #organic #organicfarming #certifiedorganic #buckwheat #covercrop #regenerativeagriculture #marketgarden #buildingsoil #notill #soilgrown #healthysoil #permanentbeds #soilmicrobes #hydroponicsisshit @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

This dead ash tree was giving me heart palpitations on windy days last winter, knowing its limbs were going to come down on our propagation greenhouse. The other three limbs came within inches of the greenhouse when my arborist cut them down much like this one. I’m glad I didn’t attempt this job myself! This was one of four dead ash trees that the emerald ash borer ravaged in our yard. I think I have enough wood for a lifetime of backyard campfires. . . .... #timber #emeraldashborer #farmlife #greenhouse #deadashtrees See more

My first sunflowers to boom this season...also my last sunflowers to bloom this season. Snuck in a bed of sunflower seed about 2 months ago and arrived to the farm this morning to a pleasant surprise. Timing tender crops for fall harvest is always tricky business yet super rewarding when they work out. . . . #sunflowers #timingiseverything #firstfrost #organicflowers #organicfarming #notill #regenerativeagriculture

A little sunshine on this gloomy day Ceramic pot by pulling friends @azure__artspottery . . .... #succulents #fenestraria #succulentsofinstagram #succulove #ceramicpot #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plants #babytoessucculent See more

Fall is here and that means that it's mum season! We're proud to announce that we are holding our chrysanthemum fundraiser for the Manor School Greenhouse Project again this year! We are donating 10% of every mum purchase at our farm stand in Lima starting today! So far we have donated over $1,000 to this project with your support! Please consider supporting this project which is designed to foster our childrens' appreciation for local food, soil and nature through hands on experiential learning. We also have the largest selection of succulents in the region, available in single pots and combination planters. Thank you for your continued support of our local small business and local agriculture!

Farming is as much about patience as it is perseverance, adaptation, resiliency and many other things. Many of our agricultural pursuits don’t yield results for a few years. Our compost is one of them. Since the beginning, we have been composting unsold plants, trimmings, leaves, rotten veggies and food scrapes. We’ve been slowly amassing feedstock and turning our piles several times a year. This fall we will be using our oldest pile to amend the soil in our new high tunne...l. Compost piles always grow the biggest veggies. I can’t wait to see what comes out of our high tunnel! . . . #organic #organicfarming #compost #composting #livingsoil #farming #ilovethesmellofcompost #regenerativeagriculture #soil #healthysoil #soilgrown #notill #marketfarming #marketgardening @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

We’re putting together some fresh succulent planters this week to take to market but not this one. A new customer that just happened upon our farm snagged this one and two others less than an hour after I made them. I’m glad to have taken this picture just before she bought it. . . . #succulents #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plants #succulentsofinstagram #succulove #stringoftears #terracotta #soeasytocarefor #theweeknd #theythriveonneglect

Preserving the bounty of summer before first frost. Yes, I know you don’t want to be thinking about frost on an incredibly beautiful day like today but these waning days of summer got me in stocking up mode. These dehydrated ‘Honey Bunches Red Grape’ tomatoes are going to hit the spot mid winter! These are the sweetest grape tomatoes you’ll ever taste! . . . #organic #organicfarming #certifiedorganic #tomatoes #marketfarming #preserving #stockingup #dehydratedtomatoes #organicveggies #regenerativeagriculture #farming #farmlife

Absolutely loving these late summer days! This goldenrod field was buzzing with bee activity this morning. . . . #goldenrod #latesummer #lastdaysofsummer #honeybees

I probably eat more celery while I’m harvesting it than I do any other vegetable. Real celery, grown in real soil, tastes really good! Salty crunch with deep celery flavor...not just crunchy water. Give your soup game a boost, turn that Bloody Mary into a work of art, join the celery juicing craze or give into your craving for ants on a log! You won’t go back to store bought celery...it’s that good! . . . #antsonalog #celeryjuice #celery #organic #certifiedorganic #organicfarming #farm #farmlife #marketgarden #veggies #marketfarming #notill #regenerativeagriculture #bloodymary

The strategies and techniques that we employ in our market garden have evolved more than any other aspect of our business, especially in the past five years. I’ve become increasingly influenced by market farmers who take a no till permanent bed approach. While we’ve always used permanent beds, we used to till with our tractor to prep the beds in the spring, to till in crops that became overcome with weeds and to work in cover crops. After just one or two years I saw the dam...age that we were doing to the soil and the resulting decline in the health, quality and yield of our crops. Three years ago we reshaped the market garden to accommodate a walk behind tractor and people power by narrowing the beds to 30 wide. The results were substantial! The beds retained their shape, there was less soil compaction but we still had major weed issues. Fast forward two years and now we hardly spend any time weeding and only use our BCS for mowing around the field. I will share these techniques in depth in future posts but I think the results speak for themselves! . . . #organic #organicfarming #farmlife #marketgarden #farming #notill #notractor #peoplepower #regenerativeagriculture #eatyourveggies #buildingsoil @ Lighthouse Gardens

Naturally, Gunnar loves plants...but maybe a little too much! . . . #blacklab #farmlife #dogs #dogsofinstagram #doglife #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsmakedogshappytoo #plantsdontliketocuddle

Oh happy day!!! Our first shipment of succulent cuttings for next spring arrived today. I took a gamble and bought from a company I hadn’t dealt with or heard of before and was rewarded with the highest quality cuttings I’ve ever received. Thousands of cuttings and dozens of new varieties I haven’t grown before! . . .... #succulents #succulove #succulentsofinstagram #plants #plantcuttings #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantpropagation #haworthia #echeveria @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

Experimenting with new crops or techniques is what keeps farming interesting for me. This is my fig experiment. 5 varieties in 100 pots. It may take a couple of years to see our first fig but we’re in it for the long haul. . . . #figs #organicfigs #ficus #testingmypatience

I’m so excited to announce a collaboration we’re doing with Christina Milliman of @azure__artspottery Our succulents will now be offered in her gorgeous pottery. Every single piece is it’s own unique shape, size, glaze and are surprisingly durable. We have a set of Christy’s bowls that we have used daily for almost 20 years now! We’ll be debuting some succulent planters this Sunday at the @brightonfarmers market, so be sure to come check them out! . . .... #succulents #succulove #pottery #functionalart #artisan #stoneware @ Lighthouse Gardens See more

Call me crazy...but I can’t help but bring a little bit of the farm with me while we’re on vacation. . . . #doesitstillcountasvacation? #succulents #succulove #succulentsofinstagram #vacation #atleastidontneedtowaterit #farmlife

Our fall garden mums are all spaced out and hooked up to our drip irrigation system in our newest greenhouse. While we are a certified organic farm, many of the ornamental varieties that we grow aren’t certifiable because there isn’t a single source for organic cuttings of patented ornamental varieties. When I started this farm in 2006, I was determined to grow ornamental plants organically. I quickly discovered that there wasn’t a market for organically grown flowers as muc...h as there was for herbs and vegetables for the obvious reason...people don’t eat them! While we’ve adapted our offering to match market demand, I’ve never completely given up growing our flowers using the same organic methods that we use on all of our edible crops. While I don’t plan on eating these mums and it is significantly more expensive to grow them this way, I do drink the water, breath the air and depend on the soil that using conventional synthetic inputs pollutes. We continue to improve our farm and constantly seek to lessen our environmental impact wherever possible. Growing our mums like this is a challenging and yet so rewarding way to do so! #mums #chrysanthemums #organicinputsonly #flowergarden #gardening #buylocal @ Lighthouse Gardens

Is your favorite garden center out of fresh veggie and herb transplants? What’s a home gardener to do when they’re looking to fill a hole in their garden to keep the harvest rolling throughout summer and into fall? We grow fresh crops of 6 packs all summer long so you can plan on successful succession plantings to keep feeding you and your family! . . . #certifiedorganic #organic #organicveggies #lettuce #kitchengarden #successionplanting #gardening #fresh

This week we said goodbye to farm manager extraordinaire Marcus! You’ve likely met Marcus if you’re a Rochester Public Market customer of ours and he probably sold you plants you didn’t even know you needed. He’s leaving for greener pastures but only after leaving our farm better off than when he arrived. Best of luck in Indianapolis Marcus! You will be missed! . . . #greatemployees #hachimachi #organicfarming #kubota #farmlife

It is impossible for Lauren to pass by a puddle without jumping in it . . . #toddlerlife #farmlife #greenhouse #thanksalotpeppapig #splishsplash

Yesterday we welcomed home a new member of the Lighthouse Gardens family. Gunnar is a 2 year old lab mix with a bit of hound in him. He spent most of his life in a shelter in South Carolina and we are overwhelmed with joy that we were chosen to be his forever home. I think he’s going to make a great farm dog! Once he’s fully adjusted I look forward bringing him with me to the @brightonfarmers market so you can meet him! . . . #blacklab #farmdog #farmlife @ Honeoye Falls, New York

It’s a beautiful day to plant a garden! We are fully stocked for all of your kitchen garden needs today @brightonfarmers market, the last Flower City Sunday @cityofrochesterpublicmarket and at our farm store in Lima. We have the largest selection of certified organic plants available in the greater Rochester area! . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #herbs #gardening #organicfarming #kitchengarden #veggies #tomatoes #dontpanicitsorganic #roc #rochester #rochesterny @ Brighton Farmers' Market

Potting up some succulent beauties for the last Flower City Sunday this Sunday @cityofrochesterpublicmarket I might even get a chance to peruse other plant peddlers’ goods if we set up early enough. You can’t find a larger variety of plants in one place anywhere else in Rochester. It’s a plant junky’s paradise! We hope to see you there! . . . #plants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #succulents #plantdad #organicgreenhousegrowing #stringofpearls #stringofdolphins #echeveria #terracotta @ Lighthouse Gardens

The early bird gets the worm this morning @brightonfarmers market. The first certified organic cherry tomatoes of the season will be available! It’s been a long 6 months without these super sweet tomatoes bursting with flavor. . . . #certifiedorganic #cherrytomatoes #organicfarming #organicgreenhousegrowing #organictomatoes #farmersmarket #dontpanicitsorganic

Memorial Day weekend is here and it's the traditional time of year to plant your garden! We have the largest selection of certified organic herb and vegetable plants for your kitchen garden as well as succulents and perennials for your ornamental plantings available in the greater Rochester area. Our plants can be found all over Rochester at farmers markets and through our retail partners. We'll be vending at the City of Rochester Public Market on Thursdays, Saturdays and ...the Flower City Sundays as well as at the Brighton Farmers' Market on Sundays. If you can't make it to the market, many of our varieties can be found The Garden Factory, Bristol's Garden Center, Abundance Food Co-op, Van Putte Gardens and Lori's Natural Foods Center. Better yet, stop on out to our farm store in Lima for the largest selection. We're open everyday from 9-5. See more

My daughters and I went to check out the honey bees when... . . . #honeybees #bees #farmlife #fawn #organicfarming

It’s a beautiful sunny Saturday in the ROC! We’re ready for you today at @cityofrochesterpublicmarket with more plants than we’ve ever brought before...veggies, herbs, berries, ginger, figs, bay laurel, perennials and much more. Come get your favorite varieties before we sell out!!! . . . #plantsmakepeoplehappy #certifiedorganic #herbgarden #plants #organic #rochesterny #roc #rochester #rochesterpublicmarket #farmersmarket #veggies #kitchengarden #buylocal #supportyourlocalfarmer #thebestplantsinrochester

Off to see the world! For those following the doings of our greenhouse toad,he decided to take a grand adventure the other day. He hid among the succulents and hitched a ride to the market to take in some fresh scenery and witness first hand where many of our plants end up. . . . #toad #greenhousetoad #succulents #adventure #offtoseetheworld #getoutofyourcomfortzone #farmersmarket #rochester #roc #rochesterpublicmarket #rochesterny

Herbs...ALL OF THE HERBS! This is the largest single order in the history of our small farm. Many thanks to the @gardenfactoryny for making a commitment to sourcing certified organic herbs to compliment their offering of gorgeous annuals and perennials grown on site. We are honored to have them as one of our retail partners! . . . #organic #certifiedorganic #organicherbs #buylocal #independantgardencenters #organicgreenhousegrowing #plants #springishere #gardening #growyourownfood #ineedabiggerdeliveryvehicle #plantsmakepeoplehappy #herbgarden

It’s a gloomy day out there today, but not so much in the succulent house! . . . #succulents #terracotta #organicgreenhousegrowing #buylocal... #plants #mothersday #gardening #theperfectgift #succulove See more

This is my last weekend off for the next 7 months before we start our farmer’s market season. It’s always bittersweet but I’m really looking forward to seeing longtime friends and customers next weekend and connecting over plants and gardening. What better way to celebrate this seasonal transition than with some fresh pesto tonight and strawberry covered pancakes tomorrow morning! . . . #plants #springishere #growyourownfood #gardening #organicgreenhousegrowing #basil #pesto #strawberries #organicherbs #herbs #farmersmarketseason