RIDGEWAY – For Lance and Kim Samuels, the journey from the Columbia suburbs to small-scale farming in rural Fairfield County was a process: a study undertaken, a risk leapt into, and a dream realized.
And – five years later – it has proven to have been the right move.
Now in their fifth year earning their primary income from the crops they produce on their land just outside Ridgeway, they’re continuing to expand and grow their farm. Kim Samuels said they’re also embracing the joy they get from knowing that they are not only feeding their family, but also helping to feed the community well.
The Samuels say the grant is the icing on the cake.
“It can be used for anything farm related. We will use some of it to help cover supply costs, including drip irrigation, more tunnels, and more attachments for our little tractor.
“The grant will also allow us to expand,” Kim said. “Right now, we farm only one acre, but we hope to expand to include another acre.”
She said the interest in locally and naturally grown produce is growing as more and more people are trending toward healthy eating.
“Our journey into farming started with a vegetable garden,” Lance said, “with a desire to grow healthy food for ourselves and our four kids Eli, now 16, Josiah, 15, Naomi, 9, and Ezra, 8.”
The Samuels say the key to their success is something a lot of people – at the time – had never heard of: microgreens.
Microgreens, Kim explained, are small, young vegetable plants grown in such a way as to be snackable or for use in salads, and packed with the same nutrients that would typically be contained in their mature form.
Growing microgreens was so successful for the Samuels that the farm quickly evolved from gardening for the family to a profit-making enterprise, endeavoring to provide healthy food not just for themselves, but for the community as well.
Besides microgreens, they now also grow seasonal produce. In the summer that means vegetables including zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans; in the winter, it means root crops like carrots and beets as well as leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale.
For Lance, the whole philosophy and process behind how the farm operates – from the microgreens to the regular vegetables – is based on sustainable farming principles that combine the new with the ancient.
For example, they practice no-till farming, which is just what it sounds like. After initially breaking the ground once to remove rocks and other debris, they never till the soil again.
They use plastic to kill weeds the first year – and after that, he says, the weeds aren’t as much of an issue. They crop year-round, thanks to South Carolina’s mild climate, and plant cover crops in between rotations. They also put down compost annually – all things that help with weed control.
They also plant compatible plants together in the same beds, an ancient practice that doesn’t work well with modern farming equipment and large-scale production but is highly compatible with small-scale farming.
As their business has grown, the Samuels now sell to restaurants and have about 35 regular weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) customers, and they sell their vegetables at several area farmers’ markets, including the Camden Market on Saturdays from 9 – 12. That market and One Hubcap Farm in Blythewood also serve as CSA customer pick-up points.
“We’re also doing a pop-up stand in Ridgeway behind Sara & Geo’s on Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.,” Kim said.
The Samuels say they are thankful that they not only have a successful farm and are able to feed their family nutritiously, but that there is a growing interest in the community toward healthy eating.
For more information about the Samuels’ vegetable farm in Ridgeway (including how to subscribe to weekly fresh garden produce), visit Bushelsandbagsfarm.com, call (803) 338-6316, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
