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Green Gate Family Farm is owned and operated by Katie Nixon and Ken Barber. We established the farm in 2010 with the purchase of 67 acres in rural Missouri. After purchase, the farm was immediately transitioned into organic production. In 2014, after the 3-year transition period the farm was certified by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. In 2019, we were Real Organic Certified. In addition to the wide variety of certified organic annual and perennial produce we grow, we sell certified organic bedding plants, cut flowers, and eggs (chicken, duck, goose and turkey). We do all of this production on about 5 acres of land that includes 3 unheated high tunnels and one heated greenhouse and grow year-round. Our market outlets are mainly in the Kansas City region, but we also sell locally. Our customers include: Whole Food Market, CSA members (three sessions through-out the year), online customers, and restaurants. We also sell wholesale through the Kansas City Food Hub- a 25-member cooperative co-founded by Green Gate where Katie currently serves as President. In 2021, we added a small, but growing, flock of Katahdin sheep, which we not sell live offspring from. Our personal goals include safe, healthy food for our table, as well as for our customers, and a farm property that fits in with the ecology of the land we live on. We are striving to be a sustainable, ecologically friendly farm, and a successful farm business. We are a 14.5 acre urban farm in southern Wyandotte County bringing people of all ages, ancestries, and abilities on-farm, hands-on connecting them to the land and soil, food, community, and opportunity. We scaffold our educational opportunities so that pre-k children can get outside, move around, and experience farm life; elementary-aged children can feel the joy of growing and eating fresh food; and tweens, teens, and young adults can begin to experience regenerative agriculture as part of the entire food system, and perhaps as a vocation. We also participate as a host farm in the Growing Growers program. We grow using organic methods and feed our own 40-member CSA, host a weekly on-farm Farmers Market (Wednesday 3-7pm), use a pay-what-you're-able economic model for our food and programs, and accept SNAP, Double-Up Food Bucks, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition checks. Linda Hezel PhD., R.N. began as Ecosystems Steward/Artisanal Producer at Prairie Birthday Farm 30 years ago to regenerate its severely degraded soil and reconstruct the native ecosystems that would have graced the fourteen acres prior to European immigration. We acknowledge the traditional lands and territories of the indigenous peoples, who once stewarded this land. The farm is host to innumerable pollinators and wildlife as well as over 1000 trees and shrubs (many native fruit, nut, berry), dozens of flowers, fruits, herbs, vegetables and hundreds of native plant varieties that yield a complex array of ecosystem services (carbon sequestration/storage, pollinator/wildlife food/habitat) all year without synthetic chemicals or season extension structures. While producing flavorful, nutrient dense ingredients, it also serves as a teaching laboratory where Linda shares the science, craft and art of artisanal food growing with chefs, farmers, apprentices (Savanna Institute, Growing Growers, Women Food & Agriculture Network, West Central Community Action Agency, NCAPS) gardeners, nutritionists, naturalists, artists and others to promote regenerative agroforestry practices and food literacy for healthy food and nutritional wellness. Teaching others to grow and eat nutrient-dense, organic food follows the 2008 American Nurses Association resolution for nurses to serve as role models and educators by participating in and promoting nutritious foods from sustainable local food systems so as to improve eating habits, increase patient and public health, and support the long-term social, economic, and environmental well-being of workers, communities and global health.  Nestled in the rolling hills of northwest Missouri, our family's century farm hosts TableTop Farms. As a woman-owned and family-operated venture, we take pride in our seed-to-table approach. Growing over 50 varieties of Certified Naturally Grown vegetables and herbs yield flavorful and nutrient-dense produce thats healthy for your family. We collaborate with nature, fostering healthy soils abundant with life through thoughtfully managed fertilizers and compost. This creates a thriving habitat for beneficial earthworms, nematodes, and other soil organisms. Our animals thrive through regenerative practices, contributing to the healing of our land. Our South Pole cattle graze exclusively on grass, while our farrow-to-finish hogs, meat birds, and egg layers also enjoy pasture life. They're supplemented with organic grains and any garden scraps they fancy. We love talking about growing food, food education, and nurturing community connections. Join us at the Brookside Farmers Market, Lenexa Farmers Market, or Overland Park Farmers Market. You can also explore our website at tabletopfarmsmo.com. |
