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With Soil Fertility as Bedrock, Business Savvy Farmer Blossoms into Largest Organic Grower on East Coast
July 16, 2012 | Kelly Hatton
“When I was 16, I told my parents I wanted to be a farmer,” said Tom Beddard of Lady Moon Farms. It was an unlikely dream for a teenager in Pittsburgh and an urge that Beddard himself can’t quite explain.
“My dad always had a garden in the backyard and I was the one kid who always enjoyed helping him,” he said. He’s since grown from a backyard enthusiast to become the largest grower of certified organic vegetables on the East Coast. Lady Moon Farms supplies retail stores from Maine to Florida and as far west as Chicago with fresh produce throughout the year. The farm has properties in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida. But the roots of Lady Moon Farms, like Beddard’s dream of farming, started small. Read More
Growing Everything from A to Z, Two Young Organic Farmers Prosper and Inspire Others to Follow Suit
June 20, 2012 | Hana LurieJustin Dansby and Paige Witherington of Serenbe Farms. Photo: Anthony-Masterson
In just six years, Justin Dansby and Paige Witherington have transformed Serenbe Farms in the sustainable Serenbe community 30 miles Southwest of Atlanta, Georgia into a thriving and economically viable certified organic farming enterprise. They have also launched a successful on farm apprenticeship program that has seen 85% of its graduates go on to become farmers.
I recently spoke with Justin Dansby to learn more about Serenbe Farms, why the farm values organic certification and sustainable practices so highly, the challenges that it faces and more. Read More
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