Life & Work with Jennifer Harbage of South Charleston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Harbage.

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Fat Hen Farmhouse is the realization of a dream started in 2010 when I decided to sell eggs to my local community. Fat Hen Farmhouse grew from a flock of 15 hens to now offer a wide variety of retail meat products and pantry items.
In the beginning, eggs and custom beef shares were sold from the farm and in 2018 there was a drastic increase in the demand for locally-raised farm products. This encouraged my husband and I to grow and begin selling our beef, pork, lamb, poultry and increase our laying hens to over 400. In 2023, we built an on farm market and have weekly hours for the public to shop.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been somewhat smooth and exciting having the farm market. I used to sell at local farmers markets until my two boys got busy in high school activities. Family always comes first and it was difficult to miss sports and events due to being gone on the weekends. I finally decided to take the leap and build the on farm store so I could be home, help take care of the livestock and not miss a minute of my sons’ last years of school.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a farmer and alongside my husband (7th generation of the family farm) own Fat Hen Farmhouse, Harbage Farms and HFC Cattle company. We farm row crops (beans, corn, hay, wheat), tend beehives and raise cattle, chickens, lambs, pigs and turkeys.
In the last few years, Fat Hen Farmhouse has grown to become a local source for meat, honey, eggs and baked goods.

This local source is fewer steps between farm and customer meaning fresher product, less handling, and fewer unknowns. This also gives the customer a chance to know who is raising their food and to ask questions. It’s peace of mind knowing what’s standing in our pasture is raised by us, processed at a USDA inspected butcher and sold directly from our farm.

I am most proud of the fact that my family and I work hard raising livestock to put excellent, nutritious protein on our own table as well as those that trust us to feed their families. Raising our kids on the family farm builds confidence, responsibility and a great work ethic to pass on to the next generation of our family.

We aren’t much different than any other farm raising food for our community. If you can buy local and support your local farmers then you are setting them apart from the big businesses that have lost trust by selling a less healthy, lower quality product with too many unanswered questions about what you are buying.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice would be to work towards your goals one step at a time and set yourself apart from others. Focus on building direct relationships with people —farm visits, direct communication, storytelling, being transparent. That personal connection is something industrial brands simply can’t replicate. If you love what you do every day you wake up then it never feels like a job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fathenfh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fat_hen_farmhouse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AqqsEjxEg/