Mr. Green Dean's Vegetable Farm
Mr. Green Dean's at a Glance
Farmer: Dean Richardson
Where they’re located: Redland
Website: greendeansvegetablefarm.com
What they grow: Exotic edible vegetables like French sorrel, katuk, garlic chives, Vietnamese spinach, Malabar spinach
Where they sell: Contact them for information.
CSA: No
“When I originally got into vegetable farming, I decided that I didn’t want to follow the herd and grow what everybody else was growing. I spent several weeks going through seed catalogs looking for unusual varieties of greens and other vegetables that looked like they might have a chance to grow here. The only real requirement is that they had to taste good and be relatively unknown. When I showed my proposed planting list to my mentors, they told me I was crazy and I would never sell that stuff. Of course I proceeded on my path, knowing that I would have to buck the trends and develop a much more aggressive marketing strategy in order to educate the market. I also knew that I would have to come up with recipes to go along with everything that I sell.” Richardson also incorporates Caribbean crops that grow during the summer.
How he farms: He does not grow anything in dirt or soil or in-ground. “Everything is grown on raised tables and in raised ground beds filled with a mixture of potting soil, compost and perlite for aeration. The raised tables are covered by plastic hoop houses, and I have computerized irrigation on each of them allowing me to individually water each table. The same type of system waters the ground beds.” While he’s not certified organic, he uses only organic methods and OMRI-approved chemicals like neem, soap and Botanigard. Everything starts as a seed in a plug tray.”
What he grows: French sorrel, garlic chives, Egyptian spinach, katuk, mojito mint, basil, wild arugula, carrots, beets, pak choi, Swiss chard, kale, long beans, radishes, herbs, mustard greens, tomatoes, among others. All is freshly harvested before the market. “Our goal during harvesting is to cut, clean, weigh, bag and have it in the cooler within 30 minutes of the initial cut,” he says. “I can confidently tell my customers that if they follow my instructions, my greens will last for up to three weeks in the fridge.”
Where to find him: Make an appointment and visit the farm, located near Larry and Penny Thompson Park in West Perrine. It’s open Mon.–Fri. 8am-4pm. He also sells to foragers and some local restaurants.
