Sweet Grown Alabama Blogs

My husband (Brad) and I (Michelle) began our farm journey with a garden in our backyard in Homewood when we were newlyweds in 2017. After a year of growing at home, we relocated our planting to family land in Chilton County. Each year we have extended our growing area, while adopting sustainable and organic methods. Now we have 2 working acres and produce enough veggies, fruits and flowers to sell to our community. 

Brad does most of the strenuous labor of farming and I handle social media/marketing for our growing farm. We both still have full-time jobs in addition to the farm. Someday Brad would love to be a full-time farmer and dedicate his life to what he cares about most: sustainably growing organic produce to nourish our family and community. He wants to share his love of farming with our sons and show them the value of growing their own food while still respecting and appreciating nature.

2023 was a huge growing year for us personally with the welcoming of our new baby and on the farm. In Spring 2023, we created our first no-till, deep compost field and were excited to see how these plants thrived. With the help of USDA grants, we have been able to establish low tunnel systems, drip irrigation and a greenhouse. These resources will help us to farm year-round and harvest the highest quality produce we can while focusing on sustainability.  

Sustainable agriculture focuses on producing more with less. We are learning how to grow using less water, less land, and less external inputs. We believe it is crucial for farms to adapt more sustainable principles to meet the world’s food needs. Sustainable and organic farming isn't the norm in Alabama, and we are finding that some aspects of sustainability like obtaining nutrient dense compost are difficult. There are times when it would be easier to spray our greens with pesticide to fight the caterpillars, but we are committed to being a “no-spray” farm. Our farming journey has never been easy, and we know we will face many challenges as we continue to carve our sustainable path, but the road less traveled has its own rewards and one of those is harvesting produce you are proud to share with those you love. 

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference”- Robert Frost