MEET THE PRESIDENT

One of the roots of our farming commitment started with the promise of a kiss when I was 17 years old, from a lady I fancied who had become a vegetarian. Just one catch, I had to be a vegetarian too. I became one, have been one, and now we celebrate over 40 years of marriage, to each other and our land.

After the birth of our son and my layoff from a city job, we began to farm our family’s homestead, working other jobs to make ends meet. A flour mill and grain cleaner were our first value adding steps and a business of small scale farming and milling was born. Our son was a hungry growing boy and whether we made money or not, we knew we would be well fed. Seven years and a new daughter later, our full-time farm and mill were challenged by the loss of our biggest customer, a warehouse serving the tri-state coops, that distributed our flour. So, we added a business (because it takes us a business to raise a kid) and our warehouse was born in 1985.

The years have seen changes in personnel, vehicles, inventory and software and tech, but our desire to promote organic farming the best way possible, by selling good organic food, continues to push us into our fourth decade. Growing, making and eating what our good earth gives us and sharing it with our family and customers is a driving force in our lives. We are fortunate to make a living doing just this for almost 40 years.

If you miss us at our office, we are probably at home, doing our homestead chores or gardening or farming or hiking our hills or riding our bikes over the hills and valleys of the place we were born.

T.Lyle Ferderber, President and Co-founder