Ethan Cook and Michael Rochon began their ag adventure as volunteers on organic farms. In 2020, they established Round Stone Farm, a permaculture market garden on just over a quarter acre in Cambridge. Garlic takes center stage in their efforts, followed by an array of tomatoes, strawberries, leafy greens and more.
Permaculture is all about sustainable design and living in tune with nature. It’s a blend of “permanent” and “agriculture,” aiming to create resilient and productive landscapes that work in harmony with the ecosystem. “Our goal is to diversify as much as we can so we’re always including new things and spotting in other items to make sure that we get a decent crop rotation,” Ethan says. “We are a homestead first, providing food for ourselves is the most important thing, so we grow what we like to eat.”
Ethan works full-time at Round Stone Farm while Michael balances part-time farming duties with his role as a barista. Their path to agriculture began with a year spent “WWOOFing” in Georgia, where they gained hands-on experience volunteering on small-scale farms. “We have both been in the food industry for a very long time working with small mom and pops to the world’s leading retailers,” Ethan says. “Our backgrounds have allowed us to work with many small producers to get to know and understand the process and artistry they bring to their products.”
The couple uses many organic practices learned during their volunteering days. They make a lot of compost on the farm for fertilizer and use organically approved pesticides and fertilizers. “Companion planting is also an essential practice for us,” Ethan adds. “It helps with bugs and keeps nutrients in the soil, and can also give us a wider variety of items in a smaller space.” Companion planting means planting different crops together for various reasons, such as helping plants grow better, attracting pollinators and boosting crop yield.
Garlic is their main crop — and a favorite. “We grow garlic out of love for its flavor,” Ethan says. “And it’s incredibly healthy for you.” The current garlic harvest, projected to yield 500 to 600 pounds by late June to early July, showcases a diverse selection of hardneck varieties including Elephant, Purple Glazer, Music and Spanish Roja.
Delving into the unique characteristics of each variety, Ethan shares his insight. “Elephant garlic is amazing to roast. You can wrap it in tinfoil and add a little oil. Pop it in the grill while you’re warming it up. When you pull it out it’ll spread like butter. Its flavor profile is very smooth and sweet, close to a leak. Elephant garlic compliments a lot of foods and large cloves are very nice to cook with,” he says. “Music tends to be on the spicier side and has what people consider to be more of that true hardneck, garlic flavor. A little bit goes a long way. Purple Glazer has beautiful, purple stripes and has a very rich garlic taste with a sweet finish. Spanish Roja also has a rich garlic taste but its flavor is spicy with sweet undertones.”
Scapes, which are the flower shoots, are edible as well. “We will pull or cut the scapes from the garlic because it makes the garlic larger instead of focusing its energy on producing a flower,” Ethan says. “They are also very delicious to eat. They can have a texture like asparagus or green onion, depending on their size. Their flavors tend to be sweeter and grassier than garlic.”
Selling their produce mainly at farmers markets, Ethan and Michael also leverage social media to connect with customers. Their love for food, creativity and taking care of the environment blooms in everything they do.
Hungry for more? Read how to grow garlic. Learn more about farmers markets.
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Market Garden Blooms with Flavor
