CHARYBDA FARMS
We are a small farm focused on growing the highest quality herbs, veggies, and flowers. Locally owned and operated near Taos, NM since 1998. Here at Charybda Farms we are committed to quality in everything we sell. We grow using organic practices, and have done so since day one. We grow using harvested rainwater high atop a plateau overlooking the Taos valley, nestled up against the Carson National Forest. You can really see the vitality in our plants. With over twenty years experience in high altitude agriculture, we have learned to grow great plants that both sustains the environment and truly nurtures people. To learn more about our how we got to where we are today, you can read on about our early beginnings.
FARM HISTORY
We got our start in 1998, as Charybda Farms, when founder Paul Cross saw a need for organic plant starts for farmers and home gardeners. We rented a greenhouse in downtown Taos, New Mexico to grow our plants. By 1999, we achieved certified organic status with the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission. This was before there was a national standard for organics. Like many small farms, we got our start by selling at farmers markets. But increasing demand for our top-quality plants led us to expand into supplying independent garden centers and natural grocers in New Mexico.
In 2002 we built our first greenhouse in the village of Arroyo Hondo near Taos. Since we are committed to environmental stewardship, we developed a rainwater harvesting system to grow with the purest possible water. We want our plants to get the best possible start. Also in 2002 we grew our first tomato crop. We quickly developed a loyal following at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, where customers had a friendly competition going on who got first pick! By 2004 we developed a line of premium microgreens popular with the Taos chefs. When we started to gain interest from chefs in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, we looked to find ways to get our microgreens further away from the farm. Through some national food distributors, we now have microgreens distribution throughout New Mexico. As people began noticing our produce in restaurants, people began to ask how they could get it at home. So in 2007 we launched the Chef’s Edition brand, with our first products being Chef’s Edition Mega Greens, a line of microgreens available year-round for your personal kitchen. Next we grew Sweet Gems, a delicious blend of cherry tomatoes, sold seasonally in natural grocery stores.
Now after twenty years we have come full circle and returned to our roots, focusing exclusively on top-quality plants for your home and garden.
