On Kindness and Kale at Maitri Farm
We’re so excited to be working with Maitri Farm, located on 106 acres in Amenia, New York. They grow over forty types of certified organic vegetables in addition to pasture-raised pork, lamb, and eggs. I spoke with Rose Karabush, Maitri’s Farm Manager, about young people returning to agriculture, the calm at the end of the workday, and cold-hardy kale that tastes like candy.
Michaela Elias (ME): How did the farm get started and what’s your approach to farming?
Rose Karabush (RK): The farm was started by the land owner. She was really excited to give young farmers an opportunity to farm in this area because Dutchess County (NY) has really expensive real estate and prices out most farmers, especially young farmers just getting started. So it was a really great opportunity for us to start farming without going into personal debt which is huge.
Basically we’re trying to make the world a better place, I think a lot of farms are. The meaning of the farm name Maitri is love and kindness in Sanskrit, and that wonderful hippy loving your neighbor kind of thing is really important to us in the way we manage and the way we farm and hopefully also in our lives.
ME: How did you decide you wanted to farm?
RK: Good question. There are so many fantastic reasons to farm but there were two main reasons for me. The first was when I was in college I studied international development and I realized there’s a huge opportunity to make the world a better place, help everyone who lives in this country and people who live outside of this country by improving the American food system. And that was big, just the whole saving the world thing. And then more practically speaking I love living outdoors and also like many young farmers I met farming is in my family but it skipped a generation.
ME: Is there any way in which you see agriculture changing? Or have you seen the way that people view agriculture and farming change at all?
RK: Yeah kind of related to agriculture skipping a generation I think the idea that agriculture can be something that uses creativity and brainpower — basically the idea of a green collar job being a public service. And I think people getting into farming are understanding that and I think people who are connecting with farms understand that.
ME: What are some of the crops you’re growing during these colder months?
RK: Lots of greens. Everyone wants greens in the winter and I love growing them. I guess my favorite crop that we’re growing now is this young red Russian salad kale. It’s in our completely unheated house and it’s been down to negative 10 degrees a couple nights so it tastes like candy because it has so much sugar.
ME: Do you have a favorite part of farming or of the day?
RK: My favorite part of the day — it happens more often in the summer — but I really like when the day is over and I’m just walking out and checking on the fields or walking back to the barn and we have a beautiful view and I see the sunset by the mountains and everything seems so peaceful.
ME: That sounds amazing. Well thank you so much for taking the time to talk. Is there anything else you want to share?
RK: Just that we’re excited to work with you guys. The idea of a food shed has always been one of my favorite ideas and I specifically moved to this area so I could be part of the New York City food shed. I have a lot of friends and loved ones who live in the city and the idea of being part of the food shed is really exciting so I love the choice of the name.
