Farm of the Month: Naturally Sunkissed Farm
January marked the beginning of our new "Farm of the Month"
series on the Tend Blog, where we highlight the amazing work and
delicious produce and food that small organic farms are
producing. March's farm is Naturally Sunkissed Farm in
Bishopville, Maryland. Check back each month for new features.
To be considered for our series, please email [email protected].
Farm Name:
Naturally Sunkissed Farm
Owner/Manager Name:
Brett & Megan Hines
Location:
Bishopville, MD
Number of Employees:
Owners only
Acreage:
17 acres
Specialties of Your Farm:
Vegetables, grass-fed lamb, pasture-raised laying hens for eggs,
strawberries, and in the process of establishing a fruit
orchard
How did you get into farming?
I (Megan) grew up on the property where we now farm, but never
wanted to be a farmer until Brett and I joined a CSA while living
in Colorado. We learned that we really appreciated knowing where
our food came from and how it was grown. We started farming on our
apartment balcony in Colorado, and expanded our operation year by
year since we moved back to Maryland.
Tell us about the story of your farm – how did you (and your
farm partner) get started? What was that like? What challenges
did you encounter?
Our farm has been in the family for almost 30 years, but for a
long time, we leased it to a farmer that grew corn and soybeans.
About a year before we moved back from Colorado, we knew that we
wanted to farm it, and so regained control over our veggie plot,
which is slightly less than 2 acres, in 2013. We established a
vegetable area, as well as a perennial plot for growing hops to
use for homebrewing (another hobby we picked up in Colorado). In
2014, we ran pastured broilers through this space but didn't find
the market we thought existed for organically fed, high quality
chicken. In 2015, we changed the direction of the farm and planted
the majority of this field in vegetables, and ran a small CSA.
Through these two ventures, we learned valuable skills that helped
us establish our homestead, and realized that we needed to grow
primarily for ourselves and our family first, but that we also
enjoyed supplying fresh produce and high quality meats directly to
consumers. Since then, our farm has become more productive and
focused on growing a diversity of vegetables that we like to eat,
and selling our excess direct to consumers, to a local
cooperative, and to a couple restaurants. We also added a 5 acre
mixed species pasture in 2015, and now have a small flock of
dual-purpose sheep and dairy goats that are intensively
rotated.
The main challenge we have experienced is time restriction. Both
of us are full-time teachers, and also mostly full-time farmers,
especially in the spring through fall. Luckily, we have found that
if we plan appropriately during the winter, we are able to manage
our plantings and cultivation effectively.
What are some important things you’ve learned since you started
at your farm?
Start small! We always have grandiose plans but can get
overwhelmed. If we start a smaller project, it is more manageable,
and we sink less money into it. Then, if it works, great, but if
it doesn't, then not much money is wasted. But, somewhat in the
opposite vein, if you are interested in a venture, then go for it!
We've learned so many skills through this adventure by just trying
things, such as butchering our own pigs and chickens, improving
our carpentry and engineering skills, and the biology behind a
plant and its ecosystem.
What is the most challenging aspect given the location of your
farm?
We live in the middle of Big Ag country, and are surrounded by
corn, soybeans, and chicken houses. It is hard to convince the
average consumer that our food is worth buying, even when it is at
a higher price than the conventional food grown around us.
Overall, educating our consumers is very important so that they
start to realize the environmental and health impacts of pesticide
and herbicide use and why organic practices, including crop
rotations, intensive pasture management, and minimal use of
chemicals improve food quality and also the environment.
What do you love about your community that makes it a special
place to farm?
We live outside of Ocean City, MD, so we are only a few minutes
away from the beach! It's a great way to spend a few hours after a
long day farming.
Name something you would love to grow that you haven't tried or
been able to grow yet?
Ginger and turmeric- we use these spices a lot but since we don't
live in a tropical climate, they have been on the back burner so
far!
Where do you see your farm 10 years from now?
In 10 years, hopefully at least one (or both) of us will be able
to leave our job teaching and live off of a farm salary full
time.
What are a few of your favorite farming pro tips?
Plan excessively- it prevents mistakes in the field. Silage tarps
are a new found favorite for managing weeds. Goats are neurotic.
It's a good thing ours are miniature.
Who are your greatest farming influencers?
Jean-Martin Fortier, Eliot Coleman, Pam Dawling
How has Tend helped your business?
We've only just started using Tend, but it has made a huge
difference in how we are planning our early seedings and the plots
for the year. In the past, we've used Excel, but then don't always
have the information we need at the time of planting. With Tend,
it's all on our phone and easily accessible, plus we can make note
of any changes that occurred in the field and record that
information for next year's planning.