Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Ketchum.
Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Michigan, I fell in love with the outdoors and always knew I wanted to work with plants. I followed that early passion, taking jobs surveying plants, growing commercial flowers, working in environment education, and finally studying Biology/Environmental Science in college. After graduate school, I moved to northeastern Oregon to work for a non-profit managing invasive plants. I learned a lot from living there including the importance of land stewardship in building strong communities.
After moving to Ohio 8 years ago, I struggled to figure out how my recent experience in the remote canyons and rangelands of Oregon could translate to a career for me here in Kent. My husband Peter, knowing I loved growing vegetables, suggested I start a homestead garden and grow food for our family and friends as a way to explore what to do next. Peter drew up the plans and built the necessary infrastructure, while I planted and harvested. The work was physically and mentally rigorous, and the satisfaction of providing food for our family and others was incredibly rewarding. I was hooked. In 2016 Peter and I officially started Seasons Micro Farm. I could see farming was a way to combine my plant knowledge from previous jobs and education, my desire to strengthen my community by providing healthy food, and the call to care for the land by growing food sustainably.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges for me in owning a farm is to balance family and work. We started farming when the kids were very little so I would sneak out to weed while they were napping or work, sometimes with a headlamp, after they had gone to bed. I felt frustrated most days that I was either failing at farming, parenting, or both. As the kids have gotten older, I have more time for farming, but the balance is still a struggle. Our spring, summer and fall are busy so we can’t typically get away for trips and family gatherings as much as we’d like. The counterbalance to those long days are the winters that are full of family time, rest, rejuvenation, and reconnection.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Seasons Micro Farm is located in Kent, Ohio. Our footprint is quite small, yet we grow an incredible amount of food by using protective structures (hoop houses and greenhouses), succession planting (once a crop is done producing, another takes its place), intercropping (multiple crops inhabiting the same growing space) and trellising (crops like cucumbers and tomatoes growing vertically). We don’t use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Because we know soil health is vital, we practice no-till methods which help build organic matter, minimize erosion, and encourage important microbial communities.
We grow microgreens year-round for two stores and eight local restaurants. We also have a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program whereby members pay upfront and receive a box of fresh produce throughout the growing season. Lastly, but perhaps most important to our operation, is our on-site farm stand which is seasonally open from April to October.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The farming industry is changing. While the number of traditional farmers is decreasing, a new generation of farmers interested in small, diversified vegetable production is growing. I think this type of farming feels more accessible than traditional farming because it requires a lot less land and equipment. We are lucky to live in a community that is interested in supporting small farms like ours. Our customers like buying local produce, knowing their farmers, and seeing how their food is grown.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seasonsmicrofarm/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seasonsmicrofarm/
