Around this time each year we head out on the highways of Georgia to meet our farmers with the purpose of catching up and making plans for the upcoming year’s plantings. Read on to hear the highlights from some of this year’s crop planning visits!
Crystal Organic Farm, Newborn, GA
This year, farmers Nicolas Donck and Jeni Jarrard committed to growing super unique produce varieties for Fresh Harvest. We’ve agreed to pay top dollar for items like Romanesco Broccoli to ensure baskets stay interesting all year round. They also recently put up a deer fence to protect their crops, so we’re predicting more sweet corn, delicata squash, and spaghetti squash, along with more dried herbs grown by Jeni.
Dayspring Farm, Danielsville, GA
In addition to the amazing flour and milled corn products Murray Brett and his son Nathan grow and prepare for Fresh Harvest, they also plan to raise a large crop of sweet potatoes for us in 2022. The sweet potato planting process will begin shortly and will be ready for harvest in the summer and fall.
Hearts of Harvest Farm, Arnoldsville, GA
This was our very first crop planning meeting with Hearts of Harvest. Paul Sorah, a talented musician and Jason Momoa look-alike, added over 100 acres of land to their farm last year. He will be ramping up unique potato and onion varieties, while his wife Lindsey will ramp up flower production for Fresh Harvest customers in 2022.
Hickory Hill Farm, Carlton, GA
Garry Shaw and his son-in-law Josh Johns have been working hard to expand the cultivated portion of their land. They even blasted a big boulder to clear space for more crops. And 2021 was their biggest year with us ever. They’ve agreed to go big on carrots, lunchbox peppers, potatoes, and squash for FH customers in 2022, as well as trying to grow and sell more unique items like Korean Melons, Soyu Long Cucumbers, and Yacón roots.
Rodger’s Greens & Roots Farm, Campbellton, GA
We met with Farmer Ashley Rodgers, using her three large computer monitors to analyze which of last year’s plans worked and which didn’t. This year she’ll be adding a washing machine and drying line to wash and dry her freshly harvested greens, making them extra clean for her deliveries to Fresh Harvest.
Row by Rowe Farm, Luthersville, GA
Josh and Jess Plymale told us, “We’ve noticed when growing 40 items a year, nobody our age lasts very long…FH gives us the option to grow fewer items at higher volume.” They also shared about their struggles with growing spinach, their plan to grow lots of caraflex cabbage & herbs, and their hope to start selling cut flowers to Fresh Harvest in 2022.
Signal Mountain Farm, Signal Mountain, TN
Farmer Thomas O’neal committed to growing more heirloom tomatoes than ever for Fresh Harvest in 2022. While cruising his property in an off-road vehicle, Thomas stressed the importance of Fresh Harvest’s predictable and large orders as a valuable component of his farm’s success. Crop planning for the win!
Tucker Farms, Rome, GA
Farmers Craig and Kiki Tucker agreed to provide FH with larger and regular deliveries of their amazing greens like salad mixes, individual heads of lettuce, and arugula. They’re also planning to go bigger on field crops like carrots and broccoli greens in 2022.
West Georgia Farmers Cooperative, West GA
This relatively new partnership was formed during the early days of the pandemic, but quickly became a weekly staple for Fresh Harvest. Eric Simpson, a leading member, has been instrumental in making sure we get our weekly delivery of sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and beets.
Over the years we’ve developed a circle of trust: our farmers trust that we will buy what we said we’d buy from them, Fresh Harvest trusts that our farmers will grow the highest quality produce in the quantities we need, we collectively trust that our customers will continue to order produce, and our customers trust that the investment they make in their food will yield a high return for their bodies, the economy, and the planet.
Love what you’re getting or hoping for changes to your weekly Fresh Harvest produce options? Send us an email at info@freshharvestga.com to let us know what you think. And thanks!