Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Vannette.
Hi Nathan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The journey to farming started when I was 5 years old, and my parents gave me a corner of the yard to start a flower garden. This sparked a joy and desire in me to spend as much time in nature and outside in the dirt as I could. I started the farm in 2010 in my hometown of Hudsonville, Michigan to pay for my education as I pursued a degree in Small Business Management. From day one, it was so encouraging how the community came around us, believed in our vision, and helped us expand quickly to serve our community. In 2015, most of my immediate family and my Grandparents on my mother’s side all moved down to Anderson, South Carolina to escape the harsh winters of the north and bask in the incredible sunshine the south has to offer. We stayed true to our same core values: to be good stewards of the land to bring health back to the local ecosystem, and our community through Pesticide and Herbicide-free regenerative growing practices. The community again came around us here, and have embraced us as if we are family. There was certainly a steep learning curve as to how to grow in the Carolina red clay we have, and many people told us that what we were striving to achieve wouldn’t work. But the success and health we have brought the land and community is a clear testimony of how we farm can truly change the land for the better. Today, we are happy to serve 20 restaurants around the upstate, a 40-member cooperative CSA with other like-minded farmers, an online farmers market called the Clemson Area Food Exchange serving several food desert communities around the upstate, the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, and the TD Saturday market every week during the summer in downtown Greenville. It has also been a joy to see people who come along to work at the farm and to see how it has positively shaped them as individuals. Each season, we have 2 Clemson interns, 6 12-14-year-olds from our community, 2 full-time positions, one or two retiring veterans through a great program called Project Victory Gardens, and nephews and nieces, who all love exploring the farm and helping with the harvest. All of this is achieved on just 1 acre of carefully grown land, where we focus on soil health to be the backbone of our farming business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Farming naturally is an occupation with many struggles and challenges. There are so many free radicals that are just too far out of our control, such as pests and weather. Hurricane Helene was the most recent challenge when we lost 100% of our crops due to the heavy winds and rains, and the disease that came with that. What amazed us was that, despite our whole community suffering together, so many chefs and individuals came together to help us pull through the challenge and recover before the cold of winter. By investing in relationships rather than business transactions, we have seen a resilience that has helped us weather so many challenges that have come our way.
Other obstacles have been land accessibility. Good farming land is nearly impossible to come by, and open land is often too cost-prohibitive to consider. This has been detrimental to the farming community at large, where developers are pushing the price of land higher and higher due to the value they see in putting neighborhoods in. When we lived in Greenville, someone in the community greatly aided us by letting us lease an urban farm plot in West Greenville, less than 1/4 mile from the Anchorage Restaurant, whom we serve. Not every farmer has this opportunity, and I worry about what the future holds for local farmers as land accessibility becomes more and more challenging.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Growing Green Family Farms?
Growing Green Family Farms is a regenerative farm growing fresh produce using no-till and pesticide & herbicide-free growing practices. We specialize in growing leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula, collards, swiss chard, along with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, microgreens, and herbs. People know us for our greens, especially since strive to grow them 365 days a year!
We strive to set ourselves apart by growing unique heirloom varieties of produce that have more flavor and color, along with pursuing culturally important crops for different people groups in the upstate. A good example is growing sorrel, which people who have been displaced to our community from Ukraine and other Eastern European countries have especially appreciated, as it is used in several different dishes. We strive to bring the taste of home to the community around us.
Education of sustainable farming is another area we are passionate about showing and teaching others about, and we are now offering consultation for individuals or other farmers who are interested in growing their own food.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Bernie Anderson from Growability Consultation helped us hone our mission, vision, and values to better articulate who and what we are. All of the chefs who have trusted in us and our product. Some specific ones: Sobys, Camp, Fork and Plough, Bergamo, Scoundrel, Roost, Anchorage, 1826 Bistro, Top Soil, Greenville City Club, 07 on Laurens, Bradbury Bistro, Maki Sushi, and Sullivans. Kyle Player from ACRE, a program closely associated with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Her support and vocalness for our farm has helped us expand our reach and impact to those around the state. My parents, Jeff and Lynn Vannette, have believed in our vision for our farm from day one and have let us lease land from them to grow the farm. My brother-in-law/business partner, Chris Ostlund, has been ever-present and helped make Growing Green Family Farms what it is today. And my wife, Rebecca. Who has trusted in me, walked through the tough stages of starting a business, and helped provide wisdom and insight for how and when to grow.
Pricing:
- Consultation starts at $100
- CSA starts at $30 per week year-round
Contact Info:
- Website: https://growinggreenfamilyfarms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growinggreenff/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ggfamiliyfarms/
