Moria Kuhn found her perfect fit in farming. It’s challenging, makes a difference in her community and is something she’s passionate about. She worked with David Retsky at the highly regarded organic farm County Line Harvest and eventually, after meeting her husband, Jesse Kuhn, decided to join forces with him to create their own, Marin Roots Farm.
MM: What is your approach to farming?
MK: What it boils down to is, what do we want to feed our family? Our customers, home shoppers and restaurants, are all putting trust in us to grow items to feed their families that are the same as we’d feed our family. We’re a no-spray farm. We’re certified organic and technically allowed to use many kinds of herbicide and pesticide sprays, and it would save us in labor costs, but we just won’t do it. We sell direct, except for a few small distributors; I hope we always sell direct because it’s the best way to get feedback and constructive criticism. I get the most creative input from meeting with customers — that helps me keep a pulse on what I should be doing.
MM: What are you selling at the market right now?
MK: All the winter chicories, and winter kales: two mixes, both from baby greens. The winter mix can be sautéed and has different colors — white-pinks, purples, variegated, broccolini and purple broccolini. The winter roots will be around until January, then go away until April after the rains.
MM: What are some restaurants in Marin where people can find your products on the menu?
MK: Fish, Piatti, Farmshop and Madcap. The chicories get used in salads.
MM: What’s a quick tip for using your produce?
MK: Create a mix of different greens, toss them with coconut oil and sauté them, adding toasted nuts and either vadouvan or another Indian spice, maybe fresh ginger. The secret is using a lot of different types of greens for texture and flavor. Save the stems and stalks of greens to use in soups and sautés or add to rice dishes.
