By Lydia Hsu
Lydia Hsu is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics
Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, started as a cloudy, drizzly morning as over 25 attendees pulled up to Hearts of Harvest Farm, located in Arnoldsville, GA. Farmers traveled from across the state to convene at this diversified vegetable, flower, and mushroom farm run by Paul and Lindsey Sorah, 2020-2021 Accelerator alumni.
The Field Day served as a networking event to welcome the 2022-2024 Accelerator cohort and provided the farmers with an opportunity to meet each other, connect with several alumni, get to know their program coaches, and put faces to the names of the Farmer Services team.
Daniel Sweeney, a Seven Springs Farm Supply Crop Adviser, shares soil health and fertility knowledge at Hearts of Harvest Farm. Photo by M.F. Espinoza (@healianthusfarms)
The day started off at Hearts of Harvest’s home location, and the alumni farmers shared their Accelerator program experiences and insight, while the new farmers had the chance to talk about their hopes and goals for the program. As the drizzle turned into rain, the group left the cover of the tents, and we toured Hearts of Harvest Farm. Attendees were able to learn how Hearts of Harvest utilized their Accelerator capital investment funding to revamp a wooden structure on their property into a mushroom house. Growing mushrooms now provides them with a revenue stream through the winter months and allows them to retain employees with minimal turnover before the growing season – a game changer.
After learning more about how the farm applied their Accelerator program funding, including shade cloth, market bins, and microgreen trays, the tour wrapped up and the group drove to the new, secondary farm location Hearts of Harvest just recently acquired. This expanded acreage will allow them to divide the two properties between flower-focused production and produce-focused growing space.
Accelerator Farmers learn about the mushroom house at Hearts of Harvest Farm. Photo by M.F. Espinoza (@healianthusfarms)
In addition to receiving strategic capital investment funds to put towards their farm’s infrastructure, the new cohort receives funding specifically designated for working with coaches to further advance their short and long-term goals for their farm business. Accelerator program coaches spoke about their areas of expertise and the coaching services they could provide to the new cohort, ranging from food safety plans to legal guidance and everything in between. As an aspect of a newly formed partnership between Georgia Organics and Seven Springs Farm Supply, one of Seven Spring’s Crop Advisers, Daniel Sweeney, will be an Accelerator coach for the 2022-2024 cohort, focusing on soil health, fertility, and integrated-pest management.
Inside the Farm Home at Hearts of Harvest Farm. Photo by Lydia Hsu
To finish out the Farmer Field Day, the new cohort of Accelerator farmers separated into breakout groups and met with the coaches and Farmer Services case managers to talk more in-depth about the year ahead.
Despite the rain and dreary weather, the Field Day was filled with rich conversations, joyful connections, and invaluable community building between farmers. To cap the day, attendees shared a hearty meal together from Farmer Champion Farm Burger in Athens, GA, provided for by a gracious donation from Seven Springs Farm Supply.
The Farmer Services team is excited to jump into the new year and start working with these seven, awesome 2022-2024 Accelerator farmers. So, without further ado, here is our newest Accelerator class!
Gannon Organics (Facebook, Instagram) | Brendan Gannon | Savannah, GA
High Hog Farm (Facebook, Instagram) | Keisha and Warren Cameron | Grayson, GA
Phoenix Gardens (Facebook) | Gwendolyn and Brennan Washington | Lawrenceville, GA
PolyCulture Production at Gaia Garden (Instagram) | Stephanie Simmons | Decatur, GA
Rodgers Greens and Roots Organic Farm (Facebook, Instagram) | Ashley Rodgers | Douglasville, GA
Snapfinger Farm (Facebook, Instagram) | Rahul Anand | Covington, GA
Accelerator Coaches, Case Managers, and Farmers mingle at Hearts of Harvest Farm. Photo by M.F. Espinoza (@healianthusfarms)
Learn more about the Georgia Organics Accelerator Program by visiting our website at farmerservices.georgiaorganics.org/accelerator.
To learn more about Hearts of Harvest Farm, visit www.heartsofharvestfarm.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @heartsofharvestfarm.
Find out more about Seven Springs Farm Supply by visiting www.sevenspringsfarmsupply.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @sevenspringsfarmsupply.