Thomas and Brianne Hart know exactly where most of their food comes from.
The eggs that Ms. Hart used to make a pork frittata for dinner on Tuesday? Those were laid by one of the dozens of hens that live on their Southold farm. The pork? That comes from a pig raised at the farm last year.
And you can probably guess where the arugula was sourced from.
“Our first priority is to feed our family well,” Mr. Hart, 30, said while touring the eight-acre Main Road farm. “Now we’re expanding.”
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They began raising livestock on rented property in Orient in 2012. And in December 2013, with the support of their families, the Harts realized their dream when they purchased the farm on Main Road in Southold, officially establishing Deep Roots Farm.
“We’re living the dream,” Mr. Hart said. “We say it all the time.”
Now the eggs, chickens and pork produced at Deep Roots, once only available at select farmer’s markets and through its CSA program, will soon be ready for sale at the Southold homestead.
The Harts got their Southold Town farm stand permit and are now offering their eggs and other products on a self-serve basis. Chickens will be available later this year.
“We had a full season last year and we’re just starting our second season,” Mr. Hart said. “Last year we took it slow. We just had a few chickens, a couple of pigs and some vegetables for ourselves.”
This season, the Harts will increase their produce output with fledgling plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and more expected to go into the ground soon.
The farm is not certified organic, though the Harts avoid synthetic fertilizer and adhere to many other organic standards.
“We try to grow as sustainably as possible,” Mr. Hart said.
Becoming a certified organic farm would mean the Harts wouldn’t be able to feed their animals with leftover grain from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, which Ms. Hart said can make for a better hen eggs.
“Those eggs were fantastic,” she said.
Mr. Hart said the venture would not be possible without his mother Michelle Hart, a teacher in the Shoreham-Wading River School District.
“She’s been an amazing gardener all her life,” he said.
Since moving in, the couple has installed deer fencing along the perimeter of the property, a former horse farm, and irrigation system for plants. This will be the first year they offer vegetables on a large scale and they are expecting to add pigs to the farm this fall.
“We’ll keep improving as the years go on,” Ms. Hart said. “We learn something new every time we try something new.”
The growth process has been gradual, as Mr. Hart still works full time for his father Thomas J. Hart III’s roofing company, Hart Roofing. But this summer, the couple will embark on their biggest venture yet. Their first child, Thomas J. Hart V, is due in July.
“That’s the biggest thing that’s been growing on the farm this year,” Ms. Hart said.
Deep Roots Farm is located at 57684 Main Road in Southold. Visit their Facebook page or contact Mr. Hart at [email protected].
