Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Bagshaw and Christi Hansen.
They met eight years ago when both of them were working for local farms in the area. Christi was making goat cheese at Decimal Place Farm (where they currently lease their land) and Matthew was interning at Love is Love Farm now located in Decatur. Not long after they met, Christi moved to Montreal to study to become a dietitian and Matthew followed. First working on various organic farms in the Burlington, Vermont area before eventually moving to Montreal where he continued to farm organically. They returned to Atlanta in late 2015 and set to work on their own project. Mary Rigdon of Decimal Place offered us about an acre of land and the use of her tractor. From the beginning, they partnered with Love is Love to co-plan their vegetable rotation to sell the produce through their CSA.
Additionally, they sell to a handful of local restaurants, as well as to a locally-based meal kit delivery service, PeachDish. They are a huge supporter of local producers and have helped them grow in numerous ways. They now also offer dietitian-led cooking workshops in their outdoor teaching kitchen located on the farm.
Great, 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?
It’s been a lot of work! We’ve been super lucky to have such good friends and a supportive network of farmers, chefs, and other food people that we were already plugged into. We’ve gotten a lot of support from our mentors. That said, starting a business can be grueling, and a farm is its own kind of complex. There’s so many moving parts: growing the food, timing and weather, selling the food, insurance, organic certification, employee management, taxes, accounting, partnerships and materials purchasing. We were pretty good employees before so we knew the business a little bit. But, nothing prepares you for the multitude of challenges associated with starting a farm on a limited budget, all while trying to maintain a big picture perspective. We’ve built a high tunnel to grow more food throughout the winter, a greenhouse for our seedlings, and a wash station to clean the produce that includes a machine to wash our carrots. All of our infrastructure was built while we were actively planting, harvesting and selling food, not before we got started. We’ve come a long way in a relatively short time, but have a long way to go.
Hungry Heart Farm and Dietary Consulting – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We sell certified organic vegetables that we grow right here on our farm. We work primarily in partnership with Love is Love Farm to provide produce for our Community Supported Agriculture program. We’re also structuring our crop rotation to provide consistent amounts of locally-grown staples like onions, carrots, and greens for restaurants and wholesale buyers. We’re known for our carrots. They were the first crop we harvested, they have their own special washing machine, and they continue to make up a huge part of our bottom line. At the foundation of our operation, though, is an informal network we like to call our “faux-op” of other farms and food businesses. We all work together to share equipment, marketing channels, ideas and sometimes labor to get it all done. It takes communication and patience, but we’re proud of the cooperation. Ideally, collaborating across businesses makes for a more robust local food system. It’s also a good way for us to keep in touch with our friends during the busy season!
Another unique aspect to our farm is the culinary nutrition component that Christi has created. Everyone from long-time CSA members to someone looking to improve their diet in order to manage their diabetes or food allergies can benefit from learning new ways to prepare the abundance of local produce available in the Atlanta area. The outdoor teaching kitchen is a great place to bring healthy diet recommendation to life right where the food is growing.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Getting our organic certification. It really felt like an important milestone that we worked hard to achieve. It’s like a diploma to hang on the wall that sums up years of work on one small piece of paper with your name on it.
Pricing:
- 16-week CSA share is $ 445. 2 sessions: spring-early summer and late summer-fall. Half shares available
- 6-week CSA winter share is $140, Half shares available
- Outdoor teaching kitchen group classes: $ 50 person, $300 minimum
- Outdoor teaching kitchen for individuals including one-on-one nutrition consultation: $150, $250 for couples
Contact Info:
- Website: hungryheartgeorgia.com
- Email: matthew@hungryheartgeorgia.com, christi@hungryheartgeorgia.com
- Instagram: @hungry_heart_farm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hungryheartfarm/
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