New farm store brings local growers together
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The Holdfast Farmstore offers local gardeners a place to sell excess produce in a convenient self-serve, self-pay setup for community members. Photo by Kendra Martin
Just outside the city limits of Mount Ayr, a family farmstead is offering community members looking for a greater connection to their food source a variety of local produce options.
Holdfast Farmstore, a small-scale market, offers local gardeners a place to sell excess produce, in a convenient self-serve, self-pay setup for community members.
Rather than growers trying to bring people together at the same time in the same spot for a farmers market, the farm store concept provides a more convenient way for the local community to find fresh produce grown by their neighbors.
Owners Kevin and Kendra Martin began selling things from their own farm, like free-range chicken and duck eggs, along with their own home grown ‘Mighty Greens,’ a freeze-dried blend of leafy greens, and shelf-stable eggs.
Additionally, they are offering their own goat tallow products and supplying customers with organic Early Morning Harvest flours and local honey from Big Muddy Bee.
In the process of spreading the word about Holdfast Farmstead, they found themselves connecting with other local gardeners. While renovating a space within an outbuilding on their property, they decided to share the farm store with others.
“We’re reaching out to the community of gardeners who would be willing to sell their excess produce, as a way of supporting local gardening and providing local produce to the community,” says Kendra.
The farm store provides local gardeners who grow fruits, vegetables and flowers a central place to share their harvest with consumers who have a desire to support local farms.
While they are not a retail food establishment, they want to support local farms and gardeners who are selling direct.
“We’re in an area where we have the ability to grow a lot of food due to our rich soils,” said Kendra, “It’s important that we find ways to be resilient as a community and support one another.”
A chalkboard hanging in the farm store provides visitors with a list of places where they can find other locally grown, locally made or locally raised food sources.
“We are adding local farms weekly,” said Kendra, “other farms or places you can work with directly to get local products.”
At the back of the store, a small bookstore and prayer space is dedicated to healing and cultivating a deeper prayer life.
“Many of us want to better understand the universe and how to be within it as we seek for a sense of connection and healing,” says Kevin.
They plan to be open year-round offering books, fresh eggs and shelf-stable produce. Freeze drying eggs, vegetables and fruit helps them make the most of a plentiful harvest without letting fresh food go to waste.
Fresh produce will be offered seasonally. Unprocessed fresh produce generally arrives early in the week, and new items are posted weekly on Wednesdays to the Holdfast Farmstead facebook page.
The Holdfast Farmstore, located on the north side of the Martin’s farmstead at 2138 220th Street in Mount Ayr, is currently open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
