True Roots Organics
It was practically a tropical paradise at Rice Family Farms. Though the March wind whipped at the walls of the greenhouse, a moist heat hung like a dewy blanket over rows of carrots, radishes and beets. One could even hear birds chirping.
Peeling back a layer of row cover, Lee Rice shook his head. “There might be flea beetles on these radishes,” Rice said. “Just a few, not bad though.” Rice was directing his comments toward Ian and Kelsey Kilgore, a pair of young, married farmers he’s helping mentor. After twenty plus years in the business, Rice decided to drastically scale back his organic wholesale farming operation, explaining that he couldn’t compete with the low-priced organic produce flowing out of California. Now, he’s renting out five acres of his property and some equipment to the Kilgores, who call their new farming venture True Roots Organics.
“It’s already been quite a learning experience, and we’re only a month and a half in . . . Lee’s a great teacher,” said Kelsey.
Though Kelsey grew up on a farm in Marsing — where her dad raised alfalfa, cattle and corn — she didn’t get bit by the ag bug until much later.
“That was definitely not where I saw my life going,” Kelsey said. “Then we were living in Hawaii for two years and met some people who were into eating organic and healthy and it just kind of clicked.”
Ian and Kelsey negotiated a work/trade agreement in Hawaii where they lived on someone else’s property and took care of their land and garden. “That’s when we really got our hands in the dirt,” said Ian. When the Kilgores decided to return to Idaho to “get back to their roots,” they were offered the chance to farm twelve acres at 24 West Ranch, a grass-fed beef operation in Eagle. But because it was their first year farming, it took them a while to figure things out. “Last year at this time, we were putting up fences for their cows,” said Ian, laughing.
“We didn’t even have a greenhouse. Nothing,” added Kelsey. “We just direct-sowed all the seeds right into the ground.”
So when Rice approached the couple to take over part of his farm in 2014, they knew it was the right move. And with Rice’s daily guidance, True Roots Organics is coming together. Down a gravel road, smoke wafted softly from a pile of burned weeds where the Kilgores were readying five acres to be sown with plants they’ve nurtured from seed — first in germination boxes, then in the greenhouses.
“I’m excited to use all the implements that Lee has that’ll make it a lot easier, like the drip-line, the mulch layers and the transplanter,” Ian said. And Rice has been more than pleased to share his tools and knowledge.
“Just about any farmer will tell you this: You never quit learning when it comes to farming. You’ll never get it all figured out exactly,” said Rice.
Though Rice will still grow seed garlic and onions on his 63-acre certified organic property — along with wholesale potatoes, storage carrots and winter squash — True Roots Organics will take Rice’s spot at the Boise Farmers' Market. True Roots will also sell cut flowers, herbs and bedding plants at the Boise Co-op and Whole Foods. And unlike Rice Family Farms, they’re offering a CSA. “We’ve had a few people sign up . . . we’ve just got to get it out there,” said Kelsey.
One of the things that impressed Rice from the start is that Ian and Kelsey weren’t afraid of a little hard work. By mid-March, the Kilgores were tending the farm seven days a week. “Some days are shorter just depending on what we’re doing,” Kelsey said. “When we were transplanting tomatoes, those were long days. But once it gets really warm and we have the markets going, then it’ll probably be all the time every day.”
But according to Ian, that’s part of the allure.
“Actually doing something that helps people makes it a lot easier to work hard days,” said Ian. “I tried to do the 9 to 5 and have the weekends off, but I can’t really do that. It’s much easier to just work all day for something that you care about.”
After 22 years, Rice is happy to take a step back and let a new generation take the reins.
“The timing was good because I’m at the age where I’m kind of ready to not work as hard,” said Rice. “Small-scale farming is not super lucrative so it’s a labor of love. So I’ll slow down a little bit and pass my knowledge on to some willing victims.”
Rice Family Farms
True Roots Organics | @truerootorganics
Boise Farmers' Market | @boisefarmersmarket
Boise Co-op | @boisecoop
Whole Foods
