About the Farm
Rattlebox Farm - a 4.5 acre farm located in Tucson, Arizona, that raises organically grown vegetables, melons and flowers - is co-owned and farmed by Dana Helfer and Paul Buseck. We started our farming business in Tucson in 2009 with a multi-plot urban farm (called Menlo Farms) in three west side neighborhoods of Tucson. In 2013 we found our permanent home on the south east edge of town near the Pantano Wash.
We sell our produce through a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), a weekly farmers’ market stand and wholesale accounts. We farm with love and care using organic methods that build and maintain healthy soil, care for water and improve wildlife habitat. Our farm is Certified Naturally Grown and we are always trying to learn better ways of farming.
Some of our practices include:
* Using drip irrigation, dense planting, row cover, and earthworks to reduce water use.
* Using no till, compost, soil testing and amending to build and maintain healthy soil.
* Addressing insect issues first through preventative measures such as covering our plants with row cover, pruning individual plants, trapping and hand control. We do not use any synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
*Restoring pollinator and beneficial insect habitat and a buffer around our field with native desert plants and flowers.
We sell our produce through a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), a weekly farmers’ market stand and wholesale accounts. We farm with love and care using organic methods that build and maintain healthy soil, care for water and improve wildlife habitat. Our farm is Certified Naturally Grown and we are always trying to learn better ways of farming.
Some of our practices include:
* Using drip irrigation, dense planting, row cover, and earthworks to reduce water use.
* Using no till, compost, soil testing and amending to build and maintain healthy soil.
* Addressing insect issues first through preventative measures such as covering our plants with row cover, pruning individual plants, trapping and hand control. We do not use any synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
*Restoring pollinator and beneficial insect habitat and a buffer around our field with native desert plants and flowers.
What is a "Rattlebox"?
"Rattlebox" is a common name for a native yellow wildflower called Desert Senna (Senna covesii). The senna is a leguminous plant (like peas, beans and lentils) and - like other plants in its family - it has a seed pod that “rattles” when the seeds are dry.
Our logo artwork features the Desert Senna and is a paper cut made by the talented Kimi Eisele. |
About the Farmers
We are Dana Helfer and Paul Buseck, and we each have more than 20 years experience in the fields of farming, food systems and community development. We feel lucky to have called Tucson home for over 17 years. We are passionate about the Sonora Desert and building the community. Dana was raised in Denver, Colorado, Paul in Tempe, Arizona.
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