Roots & Shoots Organic Farm is committed to supplying quality organic produce, while encouraging locals to grow their own produce.
Established in 2019, Roots & Shoots is a family business owned by renowned chef Susy Massetti and her daughter Andrea Pucciarelli. The farm is situated off Hamala Avenue and comprises 12,000 sqm of land.
Pucciarelli, the farm manager, says the last four years have been a steep learning curve. “When we established the farm, there wasn’t a lot of information about farming in Bahrain available, particularly for organic farmers. We couldn’t just copy and paste methods that were used in the US or Europe so there was a lot of risk involved, as well as a lot of trial and error.”
Now the farm sells 30+ varieties of fruit and vegetable including tomatoes, eggplants, onions, cabbage, broccoli and a range of leafy greens. The farm also rears a number of goats, sheep, cows and birds that are farmed for milk, eggs, meat and poultry. Each week Chef Susy uses the fresh produce available at the farm as inspiration for her weekly menu for her sought-after restaurant Fishbone.
Becoming self-sustainable
Roots & Shoots utilises a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) farming model. Consumers have the option to buy shares in the produce of each season, which enables the farm to achieve financial security and in return, consumers receive fresh fruit and vegetables.
“This model allows us to have a fixed income each season so there is more wiggle room to experiment with new seeds or farming methods,” explains Pucciarelli.
All the seeds used at the farm are 100% non-GMO and organic. In the early years, the majority of the seeds were imported from across the globe but the family’s goal has always been to produce their own organic seeds. They currently grow their own tomato, eggplant, zucchini and squash seeds.
“We are very proud that we are self-sustainable in a growing number of crops,” says Pucciarelli. “We plan to sell our seeds to locals so that they can also grow their own organic produce. The seeds of some vegetables such as carrots are difficult and time-consuming to produce so it isn’t an option to grow these seeds now, but we are very happy with the progress we have made.”
The pros and cons of organic farming
Roots & Shoots does not till or aerate their soil because it causes desertification and disrupts the micro biome. Furthermore, the farm practices regenerative farming so everything that is considered waste is reused for compost. No chemical fertilizers are used, only farm produced compost and manure.
This method is incredibly unpredictable, says Pucciarelli. “Nothing is guaranteed. If a crop does really well one year then we usually do the exact same thing the following year. However, if there is a change in the weather or the crop is inundated with insects then it just doesn’t grow and isn’t much we can do about it. We just have to take the loss.
“Having said that, farming is incredibly rewarding,” she adds. “Each year we try planting new crops to determine which ones are successful. I’m really proud that we are able to produce food in such a clean, healthy way and supply it to our community.”
Looking ahead
The big challenge currently facing farmers in Bahrain is climate change. Pucciarelli laments that she has seen tangible differences in the climate since she started farming four years ago.
“Unpredictable weather is very challenging. Just when we think we have things figured out, the weather changes and our crops don’t grow they way we anticipate. We have to be flexible and adapt our methods each year,” she says.
The farm currently has no plans to grow in size. Instead, the family would like to invest time and energy into establishing sister farms and teaching the community how to grow their own produce. Roots & Shoots offers a farm tour where participants, as well as school kids, can learn how the farm is run.
“We have no interest in becoming a big corporation. What’s important to us is to train and guide people in our community to start their own farms, and to encourage people to support their local farmers,” Pucciarelli concludes.