About Us
Horsetail Herb Farm grows medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, and cut flowers in the small community of Marathon, New York. This 2 acre, certified Organic farm began in Maine in 2020 on a human-powered scale, only to move to central NY shortly thereafter. Sole proprietor Becky Frye has 10 years of experience farming (5 of those years using horses instead of tractors) and she and her partner and teammate Corey McNaughton cultivate over 20 species of herbs, increasing that number every year.
Becky and Julia cultivating with Red Oak
Mission
Our ultimate goal is to exist in the world while doing the least amount of harm possible.
All sowing transplanting, harvesting, garbling, arranging and packing is done by hand. Although doing all the work by hand was very rewarding, using draft horses for the heavy work is exceedingly helpful! Having horses around not only brings fertility to the land, but extends the connection that the farmer has with the horses to the plants, forming a triad of fulfillment and connection.
The environmental implications of diesel-free traction help us towards that ultimate goal, while still gaining the added efficiencies of our grass-powered drafts! Add regenerative soil building practices, biodynamic curiosity, and a deep respect for soil biota and no-till farming to create a great environment to grow healing plants.
We are deeply committed to providing our community with the highest quality, most potent fresh and dried botanicals, and freshest culinary herbs and cut flowers around!
Community
As farmers who don’t own land, access to growing spaces has always been a challenge. For two years we were commuting to our fields which were 30 minutes away or further! Thanks to DAPNet (Draft Animal Power Network), we connected with Donn Hewes and Maryrose Livingston in 2021, on whose property we currently farm using their beautiful Suffolk draft horses.
Horsetail Herb Farm could not exist without the generosity and dedication of our community. We are endlessly grateful for the many volunteers and farmers who over the years have taught and mentored us, allowed us to use their land, equipment and animals, and shared their time, experiences, expertise, and ideas with us. Thank you.
Organic
Horsetail Herb Farm is certified Organic by our local certifiers, NOFA-NY. We have chosen to become certified as a way to give assurance to our customers near and far. The Organic Standards, even as they’re being undermined by the USDA and big ag, still have value and meaning to us and that is why we have become certified by the Real Organic Project. Our farming practices are beyond Organic, and we welcome customers to schedule a time to visit the farm and see for themselves. See our Organic certificate here.
Cortland Harvest
We are proud to represent the special terrior of Cortland County! First and foremost, we wish our products to be available right here to our friends and neighbors. The Cortland Harvest label helps us be visible and connect with these people. We can support each other by voting with our dollars which keeps more money in our local communities- a win-win for all!
Real Organic Project
We believe the Organic standards as laid out by the USDA are being undermined by the lobbying efforts and special interest groups of big ag. This is why we chose to hold Real Organic Project certification, an effort by farmers to maintain the strict rules of what is, and what isn’t allowable in Organic agriculture. Organic is grown in the soil! For more info on what the means, check out the Real Organic Project website.
