Deanna Jayne prepares to re-pot a plant in her greenhouse at Blue Moon Farm. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Blue Moon Farm is not your typical farm. Established about two years ago on Depot Road, the farm is in what some might call “a state of becoming.” Its owners, Jim Croyle Jr. and Deanna Jayne, say that what sets the farm apart is the techniques, styles, and philosophies they employ in their approach to raising plants.

The two have transformed what was once a large expanse of lawn on the property into a series of large, raised beds and berms, alive with a profusion of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and bushes. An assortment of colorful sunflowers grows out of what was last year’s compost pile, towering above the paths that lead through the colorful gardens. Exotic houseplants summer outside of a large greenhouse, where they spend the winter along with seed starts bound for the spring market.

Deanna and Croyle, who describe themselves as “novices,” have for a number of years been students of organic gardening techniques designed to create the healthiest plants possible. Croyle says they are particularly focused on “nutrient-dense farming,” a way of re-mineralizing the earth to ensure the highest nutrient content possible in edible crops. He explains that this technique involves amending the soil with minerals, including those from the ocean. “You can’t get more out of the soil than what’s there,” he says, so the health of the soil has to be priority number one. Deanna and Croyle are members of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, which they describe as a treasure house of information on organic gardening.

Jim Croyle Jr. carries a load of compost with his tractor.

Croyle says the two are developing organic gardening methods that are in keeping with practices promoted by people like Carey Reams, someone he called “a giant in the field of agriculture,” as well as Rudolf Steiner, an advocate of biodynamics, and Alan Chadwick, a proponent of “biointensive” gardening.

Deanna says that the farm is not certified organic, but asserts, “We’re beyond organic.”

Croyle explains, “We comply with all organic standards,” but adds that there are products allowed under organic standards that they do not use.

In the midst of experimenting with plants and techniques (like growing burdock in hay bales), the couple is focused on a milestone they’ve set for themselves: selling some of the fruits of their labors at the Harvard Farmers’ Market, which opens Aug. 28. This will be their third foray into direct sales to consumers, something Croyle says they were “destined for” since they took over the farm. Earlier this summer their blueberries were a big hit with customers at Debra’s Natural Gourmet in Concord, and their organic vegetable seedlings sold out at Harvard’s General Store. Deanna says that they plan to bring to the Farmers’ Market fresh vegetables; fresh, cut herbs—including specialty basils and parsleys; dried herbs; cut flowers; houseplants; and vegetable seedlings for fall planting, including broccoli, cabbage, chard, kale, lettuce, and turnips.

The couple’s goal is to serve and connect with the community, offering “super-high quality food and flowers,” Croyle says.

According to Deanna, customers can expect to find the highest quality in the farm’s products, something that is likely to keep them coming back. The people who will especially appreciate them, she says, are people who are “body conscious” and aware of the health benefits of nutrient-dense foods, as well as people concerned about the environment. She adds that all products used on the farm—including plant pots and markers—are “totally biodegradable,” and the farm’s heavy equipment runs on biodiesel fuel.

The farm’s business model is still emerging, Croyle says, athough he and Deanna expect it to have some kind of nursery-oriented focus. Possibilities for the future include a CSA (consumer-supported agriculture farm), and maybe eventually a direct point-of-sale operation. But for now, Blue Moon Farm will be at the Harvard Farmers’ Market every week this season.