Growing with Community: Building Horsetail Herb Farm Through Collaboration, Draft Horses, and Shared Purpose

By Becky Frye, Horsetail Herb Farm, Marathon, NY

I didn't come to farming early in life, but once it took hold, it changed everything for me.

It started when I was studying environmental science in college. I took a community farming trip to the Dominican Republic that completely shifted how I saw the world. I realized then that while environmental science mattered, it wasn't enough on its own. Seeing food insecurity firsthand made feeding people feel essential. When I came home, I changed my focus to ecological agriculture and began working on small organic farms.

For years I worked for others, farming vegetables. I loved the work, but over time I started to question whether the model was sustainable for the land or the farmer. Organic vegetable growers work incredibly hard for very slim margins. Their produce sells for premium prices to affluent consumers, but it doesn't meet the food needs of those who need it most, and the farmers themselves often struggle to make ends meet.

I wanted something that felt more true to my values and my body, that could provide a living, and that gave me some level of autonomy.

Finding Horse-Powered Farming

I first got exposed to horse-powered farming when my partner and I moved to the West Coast. I was seeking internships where I could both live and farm and landed at a horse-powered vegetable farm in Washington called Hayshaker Farm.

Diesel farming had always felt at odds to me as part of a food supply chain, and this horse-driven model matched my values and presented a way to live more self-sustainably. Plus, I just fell in love with the horses.

The Pull Toward Medicinal Herbs

My interest in medicinal herbs grew gradually. While working at Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon, I was hand-labeling bags of dried herbs that had been sourced from all over the world. I remember noticing how many herbs like nettles and dandelion root were coming from places like Bulgaria and Croatia. These were plants that grow easily here.

That realization stayed with me. Medicinal herbs began to feel like an opportunity to grow something meaningful that was in demand and was more economically and physically viable for a small farm.

My journey took me to New Mexico and then to Maine, where I continued to work on small vegetable farms. It was in Maine where I leased a small plot of land and began experimenting with medicinal herbs on my own, starting with calendula and tulsi. I paid attention to what was in demand and what wasn't consistently available.

Over time, I found myself drawn more deeply into herb production, not just because of economics, but because of the connection to healing, wellness, and care. I also desperately wanted to begin transitioning to owning my own business instead of working for others.

Establishing Roots in Central New York

During the pandemic, my partner Corey and I moved to central New York to be closer to family. I had heard there was a horse-powered farm in the area, so shortly after arriving I attended an event advertised by the Draft Animal Power Network with the intention of meeting people and making connections. That's where I met Donn Hewes and Maryrose Livingston of Northland Sheep Farm. Today, we live and farm there.

Horsetail Herb Farm began on a quarter acre of rented and borrowed acreage, growing slowly and adapting as opportunities arose and full-time jobs lost their allure.

Farming with Horses: Practical and Philosophical

One of the defining aspects of my farm is that it runs on horses. We don't use tractor-powered cultivation equipment. Instead, all our field preparation including plowing, disking, cultivating, and bed shaping is done with Suffolk draft horses that belong to Donn and Maryrose. Work not done with horses, like seeding and transplanting, is done by hand. The arrangement is deeply collaborative. I help with haying and farm work that supports Donn and Maryrose's horses and sheep and my cow, and Donn provides the horses and fabricates and adapts horse-drawn implements that support our farming needs. We work together almost every day.

Working with horses is practical, philosophical, and grounding. It's also efficient. Recently, we adapted our beds so I could harvest some of the herbs with a horse-drawn sickle bar mower. What used to take me several hours now takes about twenty minutes. The herbs are clean, the work is gentler on my body, and the soil benefits as well.

Horses also contribute compost to the system, helping provide closed nutrient loops. I don't believe a perfect closed-loop system exists, but I do believe in working toward one. I try to make thoughtful choices that move the farm in the right direction, and compost is a huge and essential part of organic agriculture.

Finding Markets and Scaling Production

Markets for selling have evolved over time. My largest channel is wholesale, but I also sell fresh and dried herbs and cut flowers at the Ithaca Farmers Market. I love the community of markets, but they are limited in how much selling you can do. I joined an online Farmers Market called the Meeting House Collaborative as another option. I came across a line in a MOFGA newsletter that said something like "Herb Growers Collaborative looking for growers," and I reached out to the owner, Emily. At the time, I had dried herb backstock and no clear path for selling it.

Through the Meeting House Collaborative, I can list everything I grow on their marketplace without worrying about marketing, customer service, or logistics. The Collaborative then has a wider variety and larger supply of organic, domestically grown herbs available to market to consumers who want and need them. I can focus on farming, knowing there's demand and infrastructure to support my sales.

Right now, online demand exceeds what I can produce. As much as I can grow, I can sell. I sell out of many herbs by November, and if I had more supply I could continue selling. Knowing I can sell more has helped me grow the farm to nearly three acres today. This is both exciting and challenging for a largely solo operation that doesn't have full-time staff and strives to maintain its sustainable approach.

Infrastructure: The Pinch Point

As the farm grows in acreage, growing the infrastructure to support the increased production becomes a pinch point. Drying and processing herbs requires space, equipment, and careful attention. Right now, much of my drying happens in a room in my home and in a purpose-converted, passive solar greenhouse attached to the house. I also have a smaller box dryer for light-sensitive herbs like calendula and red clover. We're currently working on setting up a new high tunnel to expand our drying capacity. Access to the space needed for this tunnel would not be possible without the generosity and collaboration of the landowners, Donn and Maryrose.

I do all my processing in the house with a chipper and a garble screen. Recently, I got a grant and was able to invest in a hammermill, which will dramatically improve efficiency and product consistency, especially for roots. My hope is that this will also enable me to make more uniform herbal powders that can be sold to wholesale and retail clients.

Community Makes This Work Possible

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that community makes this work possible. I would not be farming at this scale without the people around me. Landowners like Donn and Maryrose who care about how their land is stewarded and give so graciously of their time and resources, mentors who share knowledge freely, networks like the Draft Animal Power Network, and innovative farmers like Emily who've brought together growers in the Collaborative to bring more locally grown herbs to the people who need them.

Land access is one of the biggest barriers for new farmers. Renting and borrowing land requires trust and relationships, and I've been fortunate to farm in a community that values collaboration. That spirit extends into everything I do.

Thinking About Sustainability

I think a lot about sustainability, though I struggle with the word itself. I use plastic drip tape to irrigate. I ship herbs by mail delivered by gas-powered vehicles. It's not perfect. For me, sustainability is about intention and making choices that honor the land, the plants, and the people who rely on them. It's about constantly evolving and improving systems.

At the end of the day, what matters most is connection. Between people, plants, animals, and land. Between growers and the communities they serve. I hope that when someone uses my herbs, they can trust the way they were grown and feel the care that went into them.