Today we’d like to introduce you to Zac Harrison.
Zac, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started after a cross-country motorcycle trip from Georgia to California landed a buddy and me on an organic farm nestled on the Pacific coast. The place was a vibe. The farmhands gathered to prepare and eat meals together made with veggies they grew right there on the land. The whole feel of the place with it’s communal aspect really inspired my vision for Fresh Harvest. I wanted to recreate the way I felt and bring it home to my friends and family. But to be honest, we really stumbled into starting a business. I love what I’m doing now, but I definitely didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. I got back to Atlanta, and realized I didn’t know any farmers in Georgia. So I just started going to the farmers markets around town asking if they’d be open to take a chance with this brand new business called Fresh Harvest. Once we had some local produce lined up, we started telling friends and family about what we were doing. The number of customers built up slowly over time, which drove us to add more and more local products to our weekly listings. Over the years, that offering has grown into a substantial selection of local produce and groceries that our customers can choose to add to their home delivery orders. Another important part of the Fresh Harvest story is that we’re based in Clarkston, a refugee resettlement city on the outskirts of Atlanta’s perimeter. We started hiring folks from the community early on and word spread quickly among our refugee neighbors. It’s exciting to be able to say that roughly 75% of our team originally came to this country as refugees, and Fresh Harvest has been immeasurably impacted for the better by their influence. In fact, we now have a nonprofit arm called Share The Harvest that puts on three weekly subsidized food markets in Clarkston every week. These Share the Harvest markets are supported by the Fresh Harvest community and led by several of our former refugee team members.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Twelve years in, I wouldn’t say the road has been smooth getting to where we are today. But “challenging” and “fun” are definitely accurate descriptors. Learning how to grow a business while keeping expenses in check has been a chaotic art form, demanding a lot of my attention. Plus, the nature of agriculture is incredibly unpredictable. I can’t tell you how often our farm partners have suffered substantial crop losses due to weather, pests, or disease. Fighting these obstacles is especially difficult for small organic farmers (our main suppliers) because they have fewer tools and resources at their disposal to use to mitigate them. But the challenging nature of the work has forged a deep trust between Fresh Harvest and our partners. Frankly, we’re committed to each other and interconnected in ways that big box grocery stores and national chains could never be. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Personally, having a supportive wife who understood why I was getting home late at night after making deliveries was absolutely crucial to making it through the first years of the company. And now, being surrounded by Fresh Harvest teammates and supplier partners who are willing to come alongside any work that needs to be done is really the key to the whole thing.
We’ve been impressed with Fresh Harvest , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Fresh Harvest is sort of like Georgia’s online farmers market, delivered to doorsteps all around Metro Atlanta and Athens. Each week, our team sources organic produce and groceries (think fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, baked goods, and more) from around 150 local growers and producers, then list their diverse offerings on our website. Fresh Harvest customers log in and make their selections for the upcoming week, then our fleet delivers their order in reusable insulated boxes. Each base produce box is fully customizable with options that change every week. In other words, if your box comes with carrots but you hate carrots, you can swap them out for another item that fits your preferences. And if you’re traveling or just don’t want a delivery, shoppers can skip upcoming orders without limit or penalty. Another cool thing about the model is that 80% of what we deliver comes from within 70 miles of Atlanta, so you can always feel good about supporting the local food economy when you shop with Fresh Harvest.
What were you like growing up?
I was generally curious about many different things. I played sports and music, but would also climb a tree and read a book all afternoon or run around with my pals and light stuff on fire. I definitely cared too much about other people’s opinions like many other kids, but I wasn’t afraid to try new adventures or flavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freshharvest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshharvest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshharvestga
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-harvest
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnDn5Ll2jzakaOGWHpdV1A
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fresh-harvest-clarkston
