By JULIE CUNNINGHAM
Photo by Red Fire Farm
(Montague, MA) Red Fire Farm in Montague is getting excited about carrots again this year, but due to COVID the annual tasting event will not be open to the public. Sarah Voiland, one of the owners of the farm, said that the carrot tasting event will be staff members and invited guests only this year, and socially distancing measures will be in place due to COVID, but she and her partner Ryan are keen to test their varieties nonetheless for flavor.
“Since we grow so many carrots, we need to stay on top of the varieties that come out and see if we can improve on our selection to have the best flavor,” said Violand.
In addition to carrots, Red Fire Farm grows heirloom tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, greens, garlic, onions, shallots, scallions, melons, beets, potatoes, winter squash, and strawberries. In terms of carrot varieties, this year the farm grew newhall, Dolciva, Bolero, Bengala, Naval, Bangor, Purple Elite, Mellow Yellow, and Rainbow, and spring carrots including YaYa, Adelaide, Mokum, Napoli, and Romance. The tasting today will be for carrots for Autumn and Winter storage.
Violand said her favorite carrot recipe for carrots is a carrot salad. The recipe can be found on the Red Fire Farm website here. https://www.redfirefarm.com/easy-carrot-salad/.
“I also like to sauté carrot coins in a pan with olive oil and a little salt, then glaze them with honey and brighten with fresh lemon juice at the end. The rainbow colors of carrots are really pretty added to a salad as coins or a big pile of colorful grated carrots on the top,” said Violand.
Violand said to get the best, most delicious carrots the farm does variety trials and tasting events every year. The more tasters, the better the data. The idea to find how the variety holds up with different tastes. There is also an educational element, where the tasters can learn how farming works, what they like best, and the importance of genetic diversity in the plant world. This year, there will also be a version of the Tomato Festival, featuring heirloom tomatoes. There will also be pick your own cherry tomatoes and pick your own strawberries, a Sunflower Spiral Garden, and pick your own flowers. In terms of carrots, to find Red Fire Farm produce locally go to the Winter Farmers Market in Hadley, Easthampton, Holyoke, and Northampton or Green Fields Market, and State Street Fruit Store. Red Fire Farm also donated carrots to Grow Food Northampton and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.