Local farmers focus on sustainability during farm tours

The 14th annual Farm Tour provided a closer look at the diversity in farming this past weekend, with more than 40 farms in North Central Florida and South-Central Georgia participating in the tour, including three in Gadsden County.

There was no charge for visiting the farms, ranches, gardens, but some had produce or products for sale.

The Farm Tour, which was hosted by the Millstone Institute for Preservation attracted visitors for various different reasons.

While some just wanted a fun-filled fall day out in the sun, others looked to gain knowledge on the farming industry - whether it be for personal home growing or a profitable farming business.

The Gadsden County farms spotlighted this year were very diverse, with black-owned, gay-owned, and bigenerational family-owned farms participating.

Although very different, each of the farms have one thing in common...they are all using organic methods to practice more sustainable farming.

Handsome Harvest Farm

Handsome Harvest Farm (Quincy) owners Derek Phillips and Aaron Nicely demonstrate their egg washing procedures during the October 9-10 farm tour.

Handsome Harvest Farm owners Derek Phillips and husband Aaron Nicely began growing their own food in 2011 on a small homestead in St. Petersburg.

The couple has since relocated to Quincy, and now grows seasonal vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit on their 11-acre farm, where they live with their dog Rylee.

On Sunday, from 10 a.m. to noon, locals and travelers alike about 50 people stopped by Handsome Harvest Farm to tour the growing fields and hoop houses, and attend a workshop that highlighted tools of the market farmer.

Eager listeners learned about innovative farm tools that Phillips and Nicely said make farming easier and require less manpower, like washing machine green dryers, Paper Pot Transplanters, and jang seeders.

Phillips explained how an old washing machine and fish basket is an inexpensive way to dry greens, which makes them last longer.

“This is the cost of an old washing machine - about $300 or $400,” Nicely said. “This is a lifesaver; a green dryer can run you $10,000 to $15,000.

Nicely said most greens dryers are manual, which don’t remove as much water, causing greens to deteriorate faster.

“When your greens last four days longer than others, people notice,” Phillips said.

Nicely and Phillips demonstrated how to use innovative tools to cut down on the need of laborers.

Paper Pot Transplanters allows a single person to transplant 264 plants covering over 100 feet in just minutes.

“Labor accounts for more than 50 percent of the cost of our operation,” Phillips said.

They also emphasized the importance of good posture while farming; bad posture will wear any person out faster the farmers said.

Some of the tour participants asked Nicely and Phillips about the resources they use to learn how to maintain a successful farming business.

Phillips said the best way to learn about farming is to go on local farm tours, and watch videos of local farmers. Nicely said talking to farmers at farmers markets is also helpful, and recommends volunteering at local farms.

Phillips is certified in produce safety practices for growers through the Produce Safety Alliance, and he said they follow strict procedures when handling produce, and they maintain a clean packing facility.

The ducks, geese and guinea fowl raised on the farm are free-range, meaning they spend their days outside freely in pasture. The birds are only placed in coops in the evening to protect them from predators.

They said they use natural growing methods without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Handsome Harvest Farm is located at 130 Eddie Blake Road in Quincy.

Smarter By Nature

Angelique Taylor, of Smarter By Nature - a small Quincy farm, shows a small group of visitors the turmeric plants and banana trees that she and her fiancee are growing.

Many heat-resistant exotic plants can be found growing at Smarter by Nature, owned by Angelique Taylor and her fiancé Kip Ritchey.

Smarter By Nature was the only black-owned farm in Gadsden County to participate in the tour.

Ritchey and Taylor opened their gates to allow people to tour their farm on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Taylor greeted visitors, as Ritchey guided eager listeners around the small farm, highlighting each crop and explaining the growing process.

The couple has one fenced acre under cultivation where they grow a diversity of annuals and perennials.

They grow bananas, turmeric, peppers, native flowers and seasonal greens.

Taylor said she and Ritchie, who both graduated from Florida A&M University, began farming in 2018; she said the farm was inspired by a trip she made to New York for the People’s Climate March.

Taylor said while on the trip, they realized Tallahassee is home to many food deserts, which are geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options like fresh fruits and veggies is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away.

“Some of the people on the trip started the FAMU Community Garden,” Taylor said.

She said she and Ritchey began volunteering at the garden, located across the street from Florida A&M University’s Developmental Research School.

Taylor and Ritchey live in Tallahassee, but Taylor said they travel to Quincy 4 or 5 times a week to tend to their garden.

“An elder saw us giving a presentation and asked if we needed more space,” Taylor said. “We have more space out here to do what we want, plant trees where we want.”

Taylor said because of their distance from the farm, they’ve decided to grow crops that require low maintenance and less harvesting.

This summer they grew tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens, which were sold at the French Town Farmer’s Market.

Taylor said they’ve decided to steer away from plants that demand frequent harvesting like peas and okra, and are instead focusing on growing fruit trees like persimmon and mulberry, and crops that can be replanted, like turmeric.

Turmeric, which is native to Southeast, isn’t the only exotic plant found at Smarter By Nature Farm.

“Regardless of the politics behind it, our climate is changing,” Ritchey said. “We’re leaning towards more heat-resistant and hurricane-resistant crops.”

They also grow Egyptian and Nigerian spinach, as both greens love the heat, and thrive in Florida’s hot, humid summer weather.

Taylor said Smarter By Nature is a regenerative farming business that encourages sustainable relationships between people and the natural environment by providing fresh food and education to the local community.

She said right now they are focusing more on the health of the soil and they are working on becoming a certified organic farm.

Although the couple primarily works the farm alone, Taylor said they have volunteer days on Sunday.

“That’s when we get other hands,” Taylors said. “Other than that, it’s mainly us.”

Smarter By Nature is located at 5408 Greensboro Highway in Quincy.

Whitetail Hollow Farm

Gigi Carrol, of Whitetail Hollow Farms in Havana, holds up a rhea and an emu egg for visitors to see. Both birds are bred and raised on Carrol’s farm.

Whitetail Hollow Farms has a variety of exotic animals including emus, rheas, whitetail deer and a single white peafowl, who prefers to stay in the comfort of her own coop.

The farm also has traditional livestock like dairy goats, dairy cattle, American guinea hogs, chickens, turkey, guineas and Pekin ducks as well.

The family-run farm is located in Havana, and is owned by Jed and Gigi Carrol and their son Ben.

Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Whitetail Hollow was the only farm in Gadsden County to participate in both days of the Farm Tour.

They were also the only farm in Gadsden to offer riding tours via a hay wagon.

Gigi said they only expected 100-200 people, but close to 500 or 600 came out.

“It was far more of a success than we anticipated,” Gigi said.

Gigi said they operated 14 guided tours, with the smallest having eight riders, and the largest having 42 people on board.

Each tour began with a look at the cattle pin, as Gigi explained the difference between a bull, steer, cow and heifer.

There are no bulls on the farm, although they do have Jersey steer.

The Carrols bought their home in 1996, and Ben said they began acquiring the land (which was split up into a subdivision) around it in 2009.

“We bought the subdivision, and we bought it with cash,” Gigi said.

Ben, driving the tractor pulling the hay wagon, stopped frequently so visitors could take a look at the future pasture and hayfield that are expected to be ready next year.

Gigi said clearing the land has been difficult - Hurricane Michael brought in an infestation of pine beetles that has caused the pine needles to shed.

During the tour, guests were able to hop off the hay ride and get a glimpse of inside the farm’s hatchery where emus and rheas are bred on the farm.

“We hatch and sell the babies,” Gigi said. “They’re about $300 to $400 per chick.”

Gigi said they haven’t found a way to turn breeding the exotic birds into a profit, as they currently break even after the cost of hatching and feeding.

Although Whitetail Hollow has an abundance of livestock, they’ll also be adding more fruit and vegetable crops.

Gigi said she has decided to add an apiary of beehives to help with the pollination of the plants.

The Carrols said they are transforming Whitetail Hollow into a holistic, regenerative agricultural farm.

They use natural farming techniques to raise their livestock.

The family sells eggs, chicks and pullets, emu chicks, ducks and ducklings, American guinea hogs, Nigerian Dwarf and Mini-Nubian goats, and more on the farm.

The Carrolls are also looking to turn the farm into a regenerative agritourism farmstead; Jed said agricultural enthusiasts from around the country travel to Whitetail Hollow to learn more about the business.

Jed said their goal is to provide a unique learning center for the community, and a myriad of workshops and training that showcase a sustainable lifestyle.

Whitetail Hollow Farms is located at 1872 Jamieson Road, in Havana.

Erin Hill - Gadsden County News Service

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Local farmers focus on sustainability during farm tours

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Havana Town Manager resigns

Gadsden County Times Legals – 10/21

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