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Category Archives: Farm Profiles
Farm Profiles
Going Beyond Organic, Family Farm in Arizona Grows Crops on Vegan Diet
/ May 15, 2012 9:43 pm
Do you ever wonder what your produce eats? The Smith family, which owns and operates Sunizona Family Farms in Wilcox, AZ, does. Concerned with animal cruelty and the environmental impact of sourcing manures containing blood, bone and fishmeal from factory farms, the Smiths pioneered a strictly plant-based organic growing method that does not use any animal byproducts. They call it Continue reading
Young Farmer’s Passion for Gardening Mushrooms into Thriving Organic Farming Enterprise
/ May 9, 2012 7:43 pm
What began for young farmers Johanna and Christopher Finely as a passion for gardening has evolved into a profitable organic farming enterprise. In just 10 years the couple has grown their farm, Finley Farms, in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, CA from one-acre to 45. The couple now employs ten people to grow and harvest an abundance Continue reading
Returning to Roots, Young Couple Invigorates Family Farm with Focus on Sustainability
/ May 7, 2012 6:35 pm
When Josh met Sally at the University of Minnesota, both had a somewhat romantic idea of family life on a farm. Josh was born on a dairy farm, but by the time he was eight-years-old, his family had given up farming and sold off much of the 160-acre homestead, holding on to just 40-acres. His memories of farming were fuzzy glimpses Continue reading
Temecula, CA-based Organic Farm Puts Taste First, Thrives on Collaborative Relationships with Area Restaurants
/ April 26, 2012 8:11 pm
Across from some of Temecula’s finest vineyards, lies a “not so pretty” farm where luscious apples, carrots, and strawberries grow. Owner and operator David Barnes says Crows Pass Farm is not a show farm, but a working farm that relies on the strong business relationships that it has cultivated over the years with neighboring restaurants. Founded in 1991 with his Continue reading
Farm Makes Leap from Conventional to Organic Farming for Health and Profit, Proves Naysayers Wrong
/ April 23, 2012 5:51 pm
The world of organics is a battle for minds in which perceived small picture profits are pit against big picture responsibility, says Klaas Martens, co-owner along with his wife Mary-Howell, of The Martens’ Farms, a large-scale organic legume and grain farm in upstate New York. Before it was an organic farm, The Martens’ Farm was a conventional legume and grain farm that relied Continue reading
E-Commerce, Sustainable and Organic Growing Practices Drive Growth of Startup Garlic Farm in Wisconsin
/ April 9, 2012 5:59 pm
The following sustainable farm profile was submitted by Greg and Cathy Kosmeder, the owners of Copper Kettle Farm in Wisconsin. It is the first in a series of farm profiles that Seedstock plans to publish on an ongoing basis in order to promote sustainable agriculture and the farmers embracing sustainable and organic growing practices. If you run a sustainable farming operation and would Continue reading
Problem Solving and Business Savvy Fuel Growth of 45-acre Sustainable Organic Farm in Rhode Island
/ April 6, 2012 4:44 pm
The monument to the Rhode Island Red chicken speaks volumes. Not found in Idaho, Florida, California or other agricultural superpower states, the bronze plaque mounted on granite is located in Adamsville, a small village in Little Compton, Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Red, which originated in Little Compton, is so highly regarded in fact that one black-breasted rooster said to Continue reading
Small Plot of Organic Farmland in Central Washington Shines Amidst Endless Acres of Orchards
/ March 9, 2012 10:50 pm
Large-scale agriculture dominates the Columbia Basin in Central Washington. Circle-irrigated fields of wheat, alfalfa, potatoes and other commodity crops stretch as far as the eye can see. Situated amidst 1000-acre fields and endless orchards near Royal City, Wash., is Cloudview EcoFarm, a unique small-scale organic vegetable farm that clearly stands out. It’s not only the small plots containing a diversity of vegetables Continue reading
To Improve Quality of Life and Access to Fresh Food Urban Farming Co. Blankets NYC with Edible Green Rooftops
/ February 28, 2012 4:44 pm
While ‘city farming’ may seem more like an oxymoron than a practical career goal, Brooklyn Grange aims to make it a stable profession – and bring tasty, sustainable produce to New York at the same time. Brooklyn Grange is a 40,000 square-foot rooftop farm in Queens, New York. Though the company’s name might lead one to believe that it’s located Continue reading
Atop Permafrost, Remote Alaska Farm Sustainably Produces Pristine Food
/ February 27, 2012 7:13 pm
Tim and Lisa Meyers, owners of Meyers Farm, a sustainable farming operation in Bethel, Alaska, are in the process of opening up a new field to plant. In Bethel, 100 miles from the Bering Sea, that means scraping away topsoil and waiting a year or two for the permafrost to thaw. Meyers farm is the region’s first and only farm. Continue reading
Against Tide of Antiquated City Ag Laws, Sustainable Urban Flower Farm Flourishes In Los Angeles
/ February 10, 2012 7:21 pm
Valentine’s Day finds most romantics dashing to the neighborhood florist for a fresh bouquet of flowers for their sweetheart. But roses that have been doused with toxic pesticides and shipped half way across the globe, hardly inspire romance, especially for the environmentally conscious consumer. Thankfully, Tara Kolla of Silver Lake Farms in Los Angeles, dedicates herself to growing and selling Continue reading
Wisconsin’s Future Farm Packs Sustainable Punch with Cow Powered Aquaponics Operation
/ February 1, 2012 7:12 pm
The owners of aquaponics-focused Future Farm Food and Fuel, LLC know how to maximize their resources. The company’s operations take place out of a 27,000-square-foot greenhouse in Baldwin, Wisc., which houses fish tanks and growing bays that contain herbs and vegetables. Tubes run back and forth between the tanks and growing bays, recirculating water, otherwise known as effluent.
Trailblazing Organic Farm in Maryland, One Straw Farm, Puts Soil and Overall Health of Farm Ahead of Organic Certification
/ January 20, 2012 10:39 pm
In 1985, the word “organic” had yet to penetrate consumer consciousness. Joan Norman of One Straw Farm remembers fighting misconceptions of the word’s meaning when using it to classify the produce she and her husband, Drew, were growing on their 82-acre farm in Maryland. “In the beginning, if we said ‘organic’ people thought we were growing marijuana, or they thought Continue reading
Cardo’s Farm Project: Planting Seeds of Sustainability Deep in the Heart of Texas
/ January 13, 2012 5:57 pm
Farms across Texas suffered widespread drought and wildfires during 2011, the Lone Star state’s driest year on record. Thanks to sustainable practices, however, two young farmers in northeast Texas are helping to set a smart agricultural example for a state and a country facing a rapidly changing climate. Cardo’s Farm Project, located in Ponder, TX, is a working vegetable farm Continue reading
San Diego Farm Seeks to Go Beyond Organic and Build Sustainable Connections with Customers
/ November 14, 2011 7:22 pm
Suzie’s Farm is all about rekindling the connection between farmer and consumer while also helping people become better stewards of their bodies, its owners say. The 70-acre USDA-certified organic farm in San Diego, with more than 100 varieties of crops, has about 400 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program members, or community members who sign up to receive boxes of its Continue reading
Frog Hollow Farm Strives to Fulfill Promise of Brentwood, CA Terroir and Raise New Crop of Organic Farmers
/ November 10, 2011 6:54 pm
When Al Courchesne started farming on 13 acres in Brentwood, CA, he didn’t have a business plan; he had a shovel. So he dug holes and planted trees on the land he’d purchased with business partner Sarah Coddington. “I was young and optimistic and strong,” said Courchesne. “I could work long hours. I was willing to do whatever I had Continue reading
