ENCINITAS — On a crisp December morning, Garth Denton-Borhaug peeled into a freshly harvested purple top turnip, marveling at its soft, pear-like texture and subtly sweet flavor.
“It cuts through like butter, and it eats like a perfectly ripe pear,” he said. “You really only taste that way when it’s fresh.”
Moments like these are commonplace at Coastal Roots Farm, a 17-acre nonprofit farm on old Ecke Family land in Encinitas, where mission-driven farming meets community impact.
As a “social enterprise,” the farm serves dual purposes: producing nutrient-dense, organic food while ensuring equitable access for people across North County San Diego.
“We’re able to provide food at no cost to folks that need it because we also have people that are coming in, who can pay our suggested retail price,” said Denton-Borhaug, the farm’s manager of post-harvest and distribution. “We rely on and need people that have the means to come and partake in the bounty that we have here and to, in a sense, kind of pay it forward.”
The farm’s “pay-what-you-can” farm stand is at the heart of this mission, and it operates twice weekly. Customers are encouraged to pay what they can afford — full price, reduced cost or free. Those with greater means effectively subsidize others, ensuring everyone can access fresh, organic produce. For some families, the farm stand has become a vital resource for meeting their nutritional needs.
“These are folks that come and utilize the farm stand services at least once a week, sometimes twice a week, to subsidize their yearly nutrition,” Denton-Borhaug said. “Not just for them, but for their families too.”
The farm’s mission goes beyond food access. Director of farm production and distribution Adam McCurdy highlighted the importance of sustainability and education.
“Most folks don’t recognize when they’re driving on a road that that was probably a fertile field before it was a road,” McCurdy said. “Your food is everything, your food is your community, your gathering together, your food is your nourishment, your food is your healthcare system, your food is your enjoyment.”
Coastal Roots Farm incorporates regenerative agriculture practices, such as minimal tillage and composting, to promote soil health and reduce environmental impact. While their farming operation is on a small scale, their techniques are modeled after efficiencies seen in large-scale agriculture, focusing on sustainability.
“We’re doing as much of a closed-loop system as we can in our urban setting, honoring our ancestors with that closed-loop system where you have your animals, you have your waste, and your waste gets composted and goes back in, and then you grow your food,” McCurdy said.
The farm intertwines food with cultural traditions, including Jewish heritage. Incubated by the Leichtag Foundation in 2014, Coastal Roots Farm became part of the growing national movement of Jewish community farming, offering a distinctive, non-traditional outdoor space for creative Jewish expression in San Diego.
During Hanukkah, for example, the team reflected on the Jewish tradition of making latkes and potato pancakes fried in oil, tying the practice back to the holiday’s celebration of light.
“We do tie our food into the Jewish tradition, but also, again, we’re here to connect folks to where they’re coming from, right, and where they are today, no matter your tradition,” McCurdy said.
This holistic approach extends to education and community engagement. Coastal Roots Farm offers STEM-based education programs, internships, and workforce development initiatives. Many visitors first arrive for an event or program and later find themselves advocating for the farm’s broader mission.
“Some folks come for something and didn’t even realize they were coming to a farm, and now they’re the farm’s biggest advocate,” McCurdy said.
Denton-Borhaug emphasized that the farm’s efforts are deeply rooted in addressing food insecurity, even in a region as affluent as North County.
“There still are, believe it or not, plenty of folks that live within our bubble here,” he said. “There are some low-income communities that exist here in Encinitas and surrounding neighborhoods, and there are folks that are struggling.”
To reach those most in need, Coastal Roots Farm partners with local nonprofits to distribute fresh, nutrient-dense produce to underserved communities. Their refrigerated vehicles enable them to bring food directly to areas with limited access to healthy options, filling gaps often left by processed or long-transported food.
Looking ahead, McCurdy and Denton-Borhaug agree that the sustainability of this model depends on the community’s continued support.
“The question is, what are we as a community willing to commit to,” Denton-Borhaug said. “Putting our dollars where our mouth is tough … because it doesn’t just happen.”
For Coastal Roots Farm, it’s more than growing food — it’s about increasing connections, fostering sustainability, and nourishing a community.
“We’re here to nourish this slice of Earth and steward this land the best that we can,” McCurdy said.
