Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Appleyard.
Hi Dan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Our story began as a result of 2020. It was a difficult time for everyone. I was very concerned about the future of my job and how I would support my household in these uncertain times. By the end of that year, my worst fears were realized. At the beginning of 2021, I became unemployed and embarked on a journey to create a better life for myself and my family.
Trying to find suitable work was difficult, but I no longer felt like I was confined to the corporate grind. I was not going to wait on the next interview or stress over what job I could get. I was given a clean slate, an opportunity to reinvent myself. I wanted to take control and make things happen on my terms. It felt liberating. I began to look for side hustles and what it would take to start my own business. I also felt it was vital for us to be more self-sufficient, resilient, and sustainable. I was determined to better utilize our land, resources, and time to ensure a stronger future. After doing a lot of research, watching YouTube videos, reading and reflection, I decided to learn how to farm.
I have never grown anything by myself or started a small business so needless to say the whole thing seemed a little farfetched. We have always referred to our home as The Appleyard Farm and wanted to have animals and a big garden. We live on about 15 acres which is very suitable for homesteading. We even bought a tractor a few months after moving in. But we have never really lived a true farm life. In order to make this dream a reality, we would all need to make significant changes. Fortunately, I am blessed to have a very strong and supportive wife (her career would take focus and she would become the bread winner), along with two beautiful and independent girls. I began to figure-out and action this new, exciting venture.
My ambition visioned a beautiful barn with fields of lavender, fruits and vegetables across our pasture. A place for gathering and shopping, hosting events and weddings – an experience that embodies family, fun and living your best life. However big dreams on a small farm would require skill, time, and money (lots of it). I only had time, some savings, certain life skills and the will to learn. This would need to happen in stages, and I knew it would take a lot of effort, risk, dedication, and patience. I needed to use the means at my disposal, without spending an exorbitant amount of money or a loan. Enter the concept of micro farming and select “cash crops” to establish our roots.
I started to order seeds, supplies and materials, along with some specialty equipment or things specific to the task ahead. The possibilities were endless and selecting each item and going through the process of growing was invigorating. I developed a plan and everything necessary to launch our business. I developed our systems, started testing and farming. We shared with friends and family ideas and samples of food (and leaned on them for help). By the summer of 2021 we were yielding produce and ready to launch our little company.
July 2021 Fields of Revery was officially formed, and the following month we launched the brand and began to sell our products to the public. We were fortunate to have a few local buyers and get referred to a well-known vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Charlotte. This helped us to learn even more and improve. Later that fall, we became a vendor on Market Wagon (an online farmers market), and in the spring of 2022 we secured a booth at the Fort Mill Farmer’s Market which has been very successful.
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?
Of course, there were hurdles, bumps and lessons learned in starting Fields of Revery. There is constant problem solving and adapting to many variables with both farming and a small business. The weather is an obvious factor. At times the heat of the summer makes it unbearable to get work done in the garden, and even our indoor operations have suffered significant problems with crop failures and yields due to temperature and humidity increases.
One key challenge is time and being as productive as possible. Being your own boss allows some flexibility to pivot every day to tackle whatever comes up, which is a blessing and a curse since there never seems to be enough time in the day/week/month to get everything done. I find myself working morning, day and night trying to juggle the needs of my family and our self-made business. Working 6 days a week, I am the farmer, farm-hand, handyman, salesman, delivery driver, manager, buyer, accountant, social media manager, graphic designer, photographer, … phew. You get the idea. My family has been very helpful throughout this though and I could not do this without them. Everyone has taken part in several aspects of the development and day-to-day activities. My youngest is a budding farmer it would seem and can handle many tasks for producing microgreens. The days would be much longer without my team.
We have grown a lot (literally and figuratively) but have so much more to do and accomplish. The market garden needs to operate in 4 seasons with more varieties than we can accomplish today. The biggest obstacle we face now is scaling up and moving the business to a more profitable position. We have out-grown our current space and need to expand our base of operations to grow more. We have been gifted a portable office building which will become our office and indoor production space, but it needs a lot of work to restore and make suitable for our purposes. The constraint of available time and money (and again, the heat) is holding us back from even starting the endeavor which will greatly improve our productivity, efficiencies, and capabilities.
All that aside the rewards of this way of life are apparent, and as I continue to hone my skills and expand our capabilities, we are pushing ahead. There is nothing better than fresh, nutritious, all natural food that is readily available. The health benefits from what we eat and how physically active I have been shows. It has also brought a certain degree of pride for myself and my family. We are making memories along the way. Seeing the hard work convert to something so beautiful and delicious, coupled with the joy and excitement from our customers has been well worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a specialty micro farm business, producing remarkably fresh, all natural microgreens and produce year-round, servicing 9 different counties around Charlotte, NC. We believe our practices, service, and quality are the main differentiators to other farms or microgreen producers. By educating our customers on the unique items we produce and offering local delivery, we strive to greatly improve the accessibility of natural foods and the health of our community.
What are microgreens? Essentially, they are smaller, younger, fully edible versions of the full-sized fruits, vegetables, and herbs we all know. The difference is they are harvested at a point where the plants are teeming with robust flavor, lush color, and powerful micronutrients. Think of seedlings – they start as a sprout, then enter micro stage, then baby stage before advancing to full size. Most varieties take about 10 days to grow after their cotyledons fill-in and their first true leaves emerge. Chefs commonly use them as “confetti” or garnish. In recent years however, the food industry and households alike have started to incorporate them in more and more recipes and dishes.
Beyond the unique taste, textures and look of these tiny wonders, there are many other reasons for incorporating them into your day-to-day meals. Despite their size, the health benefits are profound. Some studies have shown microgreens contain anywhere from 4-40 times more phytochemical density, with significantly more enzymes resulting in a much better uptake of nutrients than their mature counterparts. Additionally, this superfood is simple to use and introduces more variety and diversity to one’s diet – bringing more interest and enjoyment to eating healthy and making it easier to attain the sort of nutrients that are often absent in a typical western diet.
They aren’t just for salads. We encourage our customers to be creative and try different pairings or combinations. “Just put them on everything!” we say. Most often micros are used as a “toper” since most cannot be cooked (some things like pea shoots can be sautéed). Add them to sandwiches or wraps, chicken or steak, burgers, pasta, tacos, eggs. Some folks just like to snack on them as-is (sunflower and popcorn are particular favorites)! They keep refrigerated for about 7-10 days, and we harvest them oftentimes within 48 hours of delivery or for market, so these are the freshest things you will ever have!
So what is a Micro Farm? It actually isn’t derived from microgreens. This type of farm is generally 2 acres or less and the concept is more efficient and bio-diverse than stereotypical or industrialized farms. The approach is doing more with less, in an intentionally small footprint, naturally, with niche products that can sustain and remain profitable. It doesn’t require dozens or hundreds of acres, heavy equipment, or expensive systems. Nor does it utilize conventional methods or chemicals. Too often the rows of a field crop are spaced based on the size of the tractor the farmer has. In our format, we don’t use the tractor to plant, cultivate or harvest. Everything is mostly done with hand tools, and our beds are spaced closer together with plantings that are much more dense. For us, we started with two main areas of production that compliment this over-arching principal: Vertical Farming – growing microgreens in a dedicated space indoors, and completely renovating our 2,000 square foot garden into a No-till Market Garden. The latter would also serve as my “university” for achieving our long-term strategy.
We don’t take shortcuts or apply things that compromise the honesty and integrity of our products. This isn’t to say we won’t utilize modern ways of working or technology, but rather take the best of old and new techniques that work with nature and maximize results. We source responsibly by only using Non-GMO seeds (often times fully organic varieties) and consider the impacts of things like our packaging and waste streams. For example, most of our consumer packaging is not made from plastics that leave a lasting impact on the planet. Whenever possible we use substitutes such as PLA or other more recyclable or bio-degradable containers and bags. Elsewhere, once the microgreens are harvested, there are trays with materials that need to be handled (soil, stems, roots). Rather than discarding them, they go straight into our compost, which eventually makes its way into our market garden, thus eliminating waste and aiding in the health of our soil.
While our immediate focus has been microgreens, the full spectrum of what we intend to provide is local, all natural, premium products through vertical farming, organic no-till market gardening, and curated farm gifts. This includes popular produce items, microgreens, specialty crops, flowers, and a range of goods made by us or other artisans. Our microgreens are grown-to-order with those and other offerings are available to order online (with local delivery of all perishable items, later on we will offer shipping for non-perishable things). Our Farm-to-door program offers regular subscribers their own crop reserves, discounts, and weekly doorstep delivery. We hope to align with storefronts to have pick-up points or displays of our products in the future.
Our goal is to create an environment that is more balanced and sustainable that helps us to generate an abundance of high-quality products, while also providing an experience that is authentic, memorable and delights customers. We are expanding our client base and hope to become the farm of choice for restaurants and consumers who seek local, reliable, healthy, farm-to-table options.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m British-Canadian and immigrated to the states in 2004 to marry my wife Michelle (who is from Knoxville, TN). We met while working for Disney Cruise Line and have had a deep passion for guest service and hospitality ever since. We moved to the Carolinas in 2006 for my career and to start our family. After several years of research and planning I found the perfect spot to live out our dreams in Clover, SC. I designed our forever home which was built in 2014 and we have loved every moment being here since.
Pricing:
- Regular sized Microgreens start at $5-6
- Medium sized Microgreens start at $9-11
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fieldsofrevery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldsofrevery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofrevery
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FieldsOfRevery
