ABOUT US
Twisted Carrot Gardens is a sustainable farm in Holliston, MA run by husband-and-wife, with a focus on growing a unique variety of high quality, nutrient dense produce through regenerative agricultural practices. We grow our crops without the use of tractors and with minimal disturbance to the soil. This helps strengthen the health and vitality of the soil and support a sustainable future. We pride ourselves in providing our community with the freshest, healthiest produce that is not only delicious but also free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. From the people to the pollinators, the soil to the surrounding habitat—we’re rooted in care for every part of our ecosystem.
FOUNDER
FARMER SEAN
Twisted Carrot Gardens was founded by 1st generation farmer, Sean Maher, whose farming journey began back in 2012 after he wrote his senior thesis on the state of the food industry in America. He first got his hands dirty in Boulder, Colorado, working for Peter Volz of Oxford Gardens and Bob Condon of Cottonwood Farms. These two farmers, in addition to Brady Anderson, were a huge influence on Sean when he was first getting his feet wet in the wonderful world of farming.
After four seasons in Boulder, Sean decided to take what he had learned back home to Ashland, Massachusetts, where he started a small market garden in his parents’ backyard in 2016. He ran a CSA program and delivered the shares himself for the first two seasons. These early years in the backyard were humbling and influential in Sean’s growth as a farmer. He then moved TCG to a new location on the Ashland, Hopkinton line, where he found plenty of room to expand. After four years at the Aikens Road location, he has finally landed a permanent spot in Holliston, MA. TCG now participates in weekly farmers markets and serves around 50 local families through the CSA program in-season.
While not certified organic, Sean does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides in his fields; he chose to take a more holistic approach to farming, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and plant nutrition - if you take care of the soil, the soil will, in turn, take care of you.
If you have any questions about the farm or the growing practices, please don’t hesitate to send Sean an email. He loves talking about vegetables, farming, and anything agriculture.
AND HIS FAMILY
Sean met his wife Samantha at a farmers market in 2019 and right away discovered they shared many of the same passions, including the improvement of the food industry and living a natural, healthy, and grounded life. Samantha, essentially a lifelong vegetarian (then vegan, now pescetarian!), was smitten with this passionate vegetable-growing farmer, and his bounty. She introduced flowers to the farm shortly after the two began dating. The flowers bring Samantha, Sean, their family, and customers so much joy and have significantly increased the pollinator and beneficial insect population on the farm.
Growing up, Samantha’s parents were creative landscape designers, so her appreciation for flowers runs deep. She lived on a farm for a while as a child, riding horses, bottle-feeding baby goats, collecting chicken and duck eggs, and tending to a small vegetable and flower garden of her own, so she’s right at home on the farm with Sean. Samantha has been running her photography and photo booth businesses for the last 15+ years, so naturally, she takes most of the photos around here and is responsible for our logo, all the marketing materials, merch, etc. Samantha loves photography, growing and arranging flowers, spending time with their dogs, and working alongside Sean on the farm.
Sean’s dad, Michael, “Mike”, is a huge help with barn work, including washing greens, cleaning coolers and other tools, wood-working, and going on supply runs. He also drew the twisted carrot that Samantha digitized for our logo! He’s also a great photographer and drawer. Mike and Sean love talking about Boston sports while working together on the farm and on lunch breaks. Mike also enjoys canning, is a great cook, and makes an excellent tomato sauce.
Nancy, Sean’s mom, is your warm welcome to the farm as she helps with CSA pickups, and always makes sure the crew and all our furry friends are well-fed and hydrated. She always has dog treats in her pockets, replenishes the multiple bird feeders daily, without fail, and insists on packing Samantha and Sean’s lunches for market days because they already have way too much to do. In addition to cooking and taking care of everyone, Nancy also enjoys drying and jarring herbs on the farm and planted a couple of garden boxes of her own on the patio this year! Nancy and Mike are the most supportive parents anyone could ask for. We really could not farm without them!
Sean’s aunt Patty is an elementary school teacher in CT, and at least one day a week, you can find her singing in the fields, weeding, as happy as can be. She’s a seriously hard-working, strong volunteer with incredible endurance, who loves getting her hands dirty. The soil feeds the microbiome, and the sun feeds the soul, right, Patty? She treats us with delicious sourdough muffins, which she gets up at the crack of dawn to bake on farm days. We are so lucky she considers farming medicine and enjoys being around us enough to make the commute, because she is so helpful and is one of our favorite people on earth!
FAQs
Are you certified organic?
We have found the process and annual investment of $750-$1500+ for USDA organic certification unnecessary because we’re personally and wholeheartedly committed to a more natural and sustainable approach to farming, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and plant nutrition with minimal disturbance to the soil and the environment. We never use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. We hold ourselves to a very high standard, avoiding nearly all of the roughly 30 organic-approved pesticides and herbicides the USDA allows for use on organic produce whenever possible. There are only a couple of well-researched organic-approved solutions we keep on hand for a very select few crops that are highly susceptible to infestations, and we use them only as a last resort to prevent complete crop devastation. Instead, we opt to use more eco-friendly methods than USDA Organic, including insect netting and row cover, for example, and spend a lot of time weeding. Sean loves talking about our growing practices, in case you’d like to learn more!
What’s a CSA?
A CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture program. When you sign up for our CSA, you are buying a share of our produce for the season ahead. You will pay upfront for the entire season, saving you in the long run, and giving us a jump start on costs for the year, and in return, you pick up a box of in-season produce either weekly or bi-weekly for 20 weeks from our farm in Holliston, MA. For weekly pickup, go with our Regular or Large Share, and for bi-weekly, our Half Share.
Eating with the seasons through our CSA means enjoying produce at its freshest and most flavorful—harvested at just the right time, when it's naturally at its best. Seasonal eating not only brings more variety to your meals throughout the year but also supports your body’s nutritional needs as they shift with the seasons. And because our food is locally grown, not flown, you’re helping reduce carbon emissions and supporting a healthier planet, one meal at a time. Supporting your local farmers is supporting a sustainable future!
Sign up for our newsletter to claim a spot in our CSA program next season as soon as they become available.
Learn more and sign up for our CSA here.
How will I get my CSA Share?
You will pick up your CSA Share from our farm in Holliston, MA. Please bring a bag or box each week to make your produce pickup easy and eco-friendly. We are excited to offer our new 100% cotton canvas reusable and washable, TCG-branded totes, perfect for picking up your CSA Share! Totes are available for purchase when you pick up your CSA at the farm or visit us at the Hopkinton Farmers Market.