Sustainable Harvest Farm

Offering a Full Basket of Farm Goods out of London, Kentucky

Nestled off a country road in London, Kentucky, Sustainable Harvest Farm offers fields of greens, fruits, vegetables, and pastures dotted with cattle and hogs. The farm grew out of a love of the outdoors, wholesome food, environmental stewardship, and rural community life by the owners Ford and Amanda Waterstrat.

Ford, a former physical education teacher, began his career in agriculture in 2006 while working a summer job at Elmwood Stock Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. This sparked his interest in agriculture and gave him experience in the field, where he could produce nourishing food for his family and community. In 2009, Ford started Sustainable Harvest Farm with his wife Amanda, where they live with their three boys.

"As a school teacher, I couldn't keep doing a good job at teaching, being a parent to my children, and farming. Something had to give, and as much as teaching was enjoyable, farming is my true passion," explained Ford.

Ford turned to the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) starting in 2016 to begin work on a business plan and financial statements. Additionally, Ford used KCARD for something many businesses appreciate: bouncing ideas off someone with experience in the industry.

"It has been very helpful to have Myrisa to talk to," explained Ford. "She helps us think more deeply on the future of our business and where it can go.”

"Ford and I have spent a lot of time discussing market opportunities and how to diversify the farm," states Myrisa Christy. "Working with Sustainable Harvest Farm has been rewarding. I've seen not only seen the vision and goals of the business put into action, but also their commitment.”

Sustainable Harvest Farm offers USDA certified organic fresh fruit and vegetables May through October to its customers through CSA shares. CSAs - Community Supported Agriculture - allow consumers to participate in the growing cycle of the farm by purchasing at the beginning of the season when farmers most need money for inputs and then receive a portion of the farm's products regularly throughout the year.

Sustainable Harvest Farm also sells at several farmers markets, including the Knoxville Farmers Market, London Farmers Market, the EKU-Richmond Farmers Market, and the Berea Farmers Market during market seasons. During the winter months, Sustainable Harvest Farm offers USDA certified organic winter vegetable CSA shares. In addition to farmers markets and winter and summer produce CSAs, Sustainable Harvest Farm offers year around options for a grass-fed meat CSA share, which includes beef and pork.

"Our goal with our farming practices is to make the land more productive, through the organic practices we follow. We want to improve the quality of our farm and the ecosystem that supports it instead of making it worse," states Ford.

Sustainable Harvest Farm is one operation that KCARD has assisted as part of a grant the organization received from the Economic Development Administration in late 2015.

"Through our EDA and ARC Power grants, KCARD and our partners can work intensively in eastern Kentucky and help connect farmers to markets," said Myrisa Christy, Project Director for the Power grant. With The Power of Food: Local Food Supply Chain Development in Eastern Kentucky, KCARD is working one-on-one with agricultural producers, food entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses in southeastern Kentucky to help businesses develop, scale up, and create jobs. In the last year, KCARD has worked with over 50 farmers, agribusinesses, and support organizations in southeastern Kentucky.

Christy began working with Sustainable Harvest Farm over a year ago, providing business planning support and recordkeeping assistance. In addition, Sustainable Harvest is now considering options to fund their growing operation, such as the USDA Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), and will be obtaining a GAP audit and selling some organic produce wholesale.

"By bringing partners together, including Community Farm Alliance and the University of Kentucky, we can get resources to producers and agribusinesses that help them enter the food supply chain," states Christy.

In 2018, Sustainable Harvest Farm will begin offering a "customizable" CSA. Customers will be able to choose what products and quantities they want each week. Currently, customers pick the size of the share they want during the season but are not given the choice of produce or how much of each vegetable or fruit they want.

"Many people want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but get overwhelmed with a typical CSA basket and don't sign back up. The current CSA model we are using makes it hard for us to retain customers season after season. With our new customizable model, we are going to try to cater to the customer more while keeping with the convenience of a CSA," explained Ford.

Sustainable Harvest Farm still has 2017 Summer CSA Shares available. Shares include a variety of fruit and vegetables, May through October. There are three sizes to choose from: Small (1-2 people), Regular (2-4 people), and Extra Large (6+ people). They offer 9 different pick up locations including Knoxville, TN, London, KY, Somerset, KY, Richmond, KY, and Lexington, KY. Sustainable Harvest Farm also offers various events during the summer months.

To learn more about Sustainable Harvest Farm's events and its CSA, visit their website at www.sustainableharvestfarm.com to sign up for the CSA and their Facebook Page to keep up with what is going on at the farm. For any additional questions, contact Ford Waterstrat at (859) 227-5101, or via email at ford.waterstrat@gmail.com.