Community

Story by Andrea Haines

Chester County, PA

Providing friends and neighbors with an online farm stand from May through January, the firstgeneration farm owner is one of Farm Credit’s Farmers on the Rise winners. “Accepting the award validated the efforts and sacrifices that our family has made,” shares Robert. “The application and interview experience was an opportunity for me to think critically about the business side of our operation that, in and of itself made applying worth the effort. To be seen as a leader in agriculture has encouraged me to put more effort into our agricultural community and given us the confidence to continue to put in the work to build an agricultural business.”

Robert and his team will be building a second movable high tunnel with the funding provided by the award. “The high tunnel will help even out seasonal employment for staff, lengthen our harvest season, and help us grow crops with higher marketable yields,” he explains. “A guiding principle of mine is to invest in production capacity that evens out the seasonal workload in an effort to provide staff with consistent year-round employment.”

His plan is to double output in four years, focusing on marketing and distribution. “I would like Down to Earth Harvest to be a resource for other farm startups and grow the number of small farms in suburban areas,” he shares. Robert urges others to “start small and use social capital in your community”. He says, “It just takes one connection at a time to build your reputation and skill set.”

When applying for assistance, Robert claims, “passion and hard work are intangible, but your numbers are going to speak loudly. Being financially literate takes effort and time.” His relationship with Farm Credit is strong. “They have expertise and understanding of small and large ag operations. The staff is responsive and supportive, and the cooperative model returns profits to farmers they serve.”

Robert is looking forward to the future. “When you’re excited about taking on tomorrow it’s easy to wake up early and get to work.”

You can check out Down To Earth Harvest on the web at downtoearthharvest.com or on these social media platforms: Facebook: @downtoearthharvest.csa Instagram: @downtoearthharvest YouTube: @downtoearthharvest5267