8.07.2017

Farmer Brad is moving...

Yep, I know it's been a long while since I have posted on this blog, but it's time for me to move...

Don't worry!  I'm launching a new website soon... and it's going to be great!  You have all been very supportive in your comments and I appreciate the encouragement and interest in our small farm and the local food revolution.  The future is going to be exciting for Home Sweet Farm and my plans are to offer more support for market growers, gardeners, community leaders and small farmers that want to feed their families and communities righteous food.

Check out what's in the works...

Coming soon...
  • Regular articles, reflections and comments pertaining to small farming and growing a Righteous Food System: small scale, community centered, sustainable.
  • Podcasts fresh from the farm dealing with the season, right now today.
  • One-On-One Phone Consultations for those who need some personal coaching and practical advise.  With 25 years experience growing a successful farm business in the South, I know you have a lot of questions and unique challenges, so let's talk!
  • Plus... an Annual Membership that will support those in a serious effort to provide local food for their community, offering access to...
    • Facebook Support Group
    • Online Educational Modules
    • Live Webinars with Q&A
    • Market Growers Symposium
    • Resources and Discounts
    • and other perks...
Sneak A Peak...

I'm sharing this for the first time to you, my original blog community.  My goal is to provide some serious support and training for the local food revolution.  I have just posted a new article, and want to give you an early peak at what I'm about to launch and what it's going to look like... check out this article on my new website and  leave me your comments... Be sure to subscribe, a lot more is on the way... read it now... To Scale Up or To Scale Down

Thanks again for your continued support!
- Farmer Brad

2.07.2015

It's Time to Be Creative



In our changing local food economy, it’s important to stay on the cutting edge especially if you are a small family farmer dependent upon reaching your customers directly in the marketplace.

The Local Food scene has grown abundantly over the last ten years in Houston, but let’s face it, the market has become saturated with Farmers Markets, out of town distributors and an apparent increase of local food accessibility in grocery stores.  This leaves local farmers with a need to explore new options.

Small farmers need to move toward a more creative approach, offering unique items that you do not find as easily available such as microgreens, ginger, turmeric and mushrooms.  Of course, these too will become more popular with local growers as the market is discovered, but for now, they are an opportunity to grow.

Microgreens are tiny edible plants that are larger than sprouts but smaller than baby vegetables and are harvested as the first true leaves are germinated.  They pack a big punch when it comes to flavor and nutrition.  Sprouts are generally grown in water, but microgreens are grown in soil and then cut by hand without the roots attached.  Most any variety of vegetable can be grown, but successful mixes focus on color and sometimes spicy flavors to garnish salads and plates, and the chefs love them.

Our extended growing season in the South gives growers an opportunity for more tropical offerings like ginger and turmeric.  Both are valued for their culinary and medicinal qualities, but once you have experienced fresh baby ginger or turmeric, there is no going back.  Planted in mid spring when the temperatures warm up, these crops take up to nine months to harvest and are big feeders requiring regular organic inputs, but the crop is worth it.  Both chefs and Market shoppers buy up the fresh crop quickly in early winter as the demand far exceeds the supply, giving farmers a premium price.

Mushrooms are also a niche market for farmers to develop.  With the right environment, mushrooms can be easily grown on sawdust, wood chips, straw or fresh logs.  With our native trees in the area, oyster varieties and shitakes are ideal.  These can be offered fresh or dried to extend the market, giving farmers a unique offering that are quickly sought after at Markets and among chefs.

These and other unique culinary crops will make local farmers a success in the ever changing market place and will also add much needed variety to the local food scene.

12.30.2013

We Need Your Help...

Now that another year has come to an end...
 
Looking back... 2013 was another successful year for our small family farm thanks to our committed CSA Members and patrons.  In general its been a rough road for Texas  farmers and ranchers.  It started back in 2011 with the drought and slowing economy.  Markets across the state have been reporting a decrease in sales and traffic by 60% in some cases, which has put many producers at risk.  Our risk has been minimized each season due to our Community Supported Agriculture program.  We can boldly plant our seeds and increase our livestock knowing that our members have invested for the season.  It makes a huge difference knowing that you will have a secure income in the upcoming months.

Looking ahead... Nothing supports our community of local farmers more than the assurance of customers willing to make seasonal commitments.  Developing a multi-farm CSA has never been easy, by working with producers to supply our families with chicken, beef, eggs, artisan cheese, milk and of course our righteous veggies, benefits everyone involved as we all desire the best food possible.  Once again, we would like to encourage you to take the step necessary to help guarantee the continued supply of local food by becoming a 2014 Houston CSA Member or Brenham Market Member.  Your commitment is needed now more than ever before as we head towards our 10 year anniversary as Houston's first CSA farm.
 
Check out our January 2014 Newsletter online to learn more...

Yours in the local harvest,

Farmer Brad & Jenny Stufflebeam
Home Sweet Farm

12.08.2013

Community Supported Agriculture Revisted - 10 Years

2014 marks the 10 year anniversary for Houston's first Community Supported Agriculture Farm: Home Sweet Farm in Brenham.  A time to revisit the work and the communities that we serve.

 

Farmer Jenny, Fall 2013
A lot has changed in the years serving Houston since we began the first CSA Farm in the area.  We have seen the increase of awareness and the financial commitment of our members has literally helped us grow a farm from scratch without having to go to the bank.  It's been the only thing that we have been able to count on these years.  Lets face it, farming is a big gamble, especially in Texas.  Knowing that we have the secured income for a season allows us to farm full-time for our members and has been essential for our family farm to succeed.

Each year we have adjusted our CSA to meet the demand, adding new dropsites and developing a farmers cooperative to increase local food variety for our members.  Supporting over a dozen family farms, we supply fresh produce, pastured chicken and eggs, grass-fed beef, artisan cheese, honey and hand-crafted artisan foods all sustainably raised in the Brazos Valley!  Its been an exciting adventure as we mentor and support others in their farming dream by developing this new market place.

Flooding in 2009
The weather has always been an issue... years of drought, floods, unusual winters, grasshoppers and heatwaves... its amazing that anything can grow in this climate sometimes.  Membership support has helped us develop irrigation, shade houses and greenhouses to modify our growing environment.  We have researched and shared our growing techniques with 100s of people throughout the years as we strive to rebuild our agricultural community.

Over the last two years, the local food economy has slowed down for us and many small farmers in Texas.  After growing every year, by 2013 our Houston CSA Membership dropped by 50%.  This definitely makes us reevaluate the program.  With the drop in CSA member commitment and the weaker economy, we need to scale back what we are doing by focusing on a smaller supportive membership base.

In 2014, we will be consolidating routes and limiting our CSA Membership to full share members.  We have decided to not offer 1/2 shares at this time as it is essential for our farm to prioritize full share members  in order to make the CSA work financially.  Our 2014 CSA Members will have the option for more local food variety and provisions delivered each week with their vegetables.  Our goal is not to serve more people as we have in the past, our vision is to serve a core group of members more food with better service then ever before.

Horse Farming in 2008
As farmers, we have also set a goal to do more horse farming this year, becoming even more sustainable in our farming practices. We plan to utilize our high tunnels for specialty crops to extend the season and return to more heirloom varieties of vegetables chosen for their nutrition and flavor.  Ultimately, we need to have the farm more financially stable to get us through these economic hard times even if it limits our production by horse farming.

We also want to complete our commercial kitchen on the farm which will allow us to capture any loss of produce by canning, pickling and eventually offering prepared meals and a soup share to our members.

Like always, all of our goals for the farm and work is made possible by our CSA Members!  Its amazing that our family has been able to pursue this dream to be a successful small family farm.  Its an unusual story and an inspiration to many who want to go down the same path making fresh, clean, righteous food available to our community.  We can't express enough our gratitude for the constant encouragement that our members bring to us each season.  It makes it all worth it, and we thank you all for your continued support.

Yours in the local harvest!
Farmer Brad and Jenny