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1/31/2017
Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
http://www.heraldbulletin.com/community/dreamstakerootataspireindianasharvestlandfarm/article_e4bf39264ba65b98aeadfa592c2b03c4.html
Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana's Harvestland Farm By Julie Campbell | For The Herald Bulletin Mar 22, 2015
It may look like a typical farm, but Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm grows more than garden variety crops. Inside the greenhouses, along with vegetables and herbs, there are hopes and dreams taking root and flourishing. “It started as a garden with the idea of employing people,” said Mike Keevin, manager of Aspire’s Social Enterprises programs. “We didn’t even use our own space — we started it at Davis Park. And then we were able to buy this property and expand that.” Today, Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm, which has its store on Indiana 32 between Anderson and Lapel, employs 15 people. Many of them have had some kind of barrier to employment. “We see a lot of people who are very thankful to have a job, because they’ve been turned down other places or where other employers wouldn’t understand what they’ve been through,” Keevin said. The operation, which includes nine large greenhouses and approximately 13 acres of farmland, utilizes organic growing practices and sells its produce to highend restaurants as well as to farmers markets in Indianapolis. “We also sell to the public here in our farm store and through our CSA — Community Supported Agriculture — program,” Keevin said. “People can buy a share in the farm before it’s ever grown, and then they get a weekly basket of produce.” Growing crops in a greenhouse has its set of benefits and challenges, said Jeremy Stubbs, farm manager at Harvestland. “Temperature control is a doubleedged sword. In the winter, it’s a battle,” said Stubbs, adding that he has had to run propane heat in the greenhouses during many of the extremely cold days this winter. http://www.heraldbulletin.com/community/dreamstakerootataspireindianasharvestlandfarm/article_e4bf39264ba65b98aeadfa592c2b03c4.html
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1/31/2017
Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
“But even on a day when it’s 20 degrees outside, if the sun is shining and it’s not overcast, these greenhouses are 80 to 85 degrees.” In the late spring, Stubbs and his staff will plant crops outside in the fields as well, but the greenhouses will remain in operation. “We’ll be converting a lot of this stuff to tomatoes and bell peppers and other things that really love heat. Heat isn’t a problem because we can open up the vents and blow it out with fans,” he said. Whether in the greenhouses or on the farm, Stubbs and his crew tend to a wide variety of crops yearround. In addition to “traditional” crops such as broccoli, carrots, onions, radishes and tomatoes, they grow specialty items for restaurants. “We grow something called broccoli rabe, which tastes like broccoli, but it’s not even part of the broccoli family. All the highend restaurants eat it up,” Stubbs said, adding Aspire even sells the flowers of the plant for restaurants to use as garnish. “We also do different things like sorrel, which is a green that tastes like lemon, beet greens, spicy salad mix greens and herbs like cilantro, rosemary, thyme.” In addition to the farm, Aspire’s Social Enterprises programs include vending services, cleaning services and a jewelry business that produces recovery glass cecklaces.” Social Enterprises employs 42 people, Keevin said. “One of the big philosophies of Aspire is treating the whole person,” Keevin said. “You could bring a homeless person in and treat them for whatever mental illness they might have, but if you send them back out again to be homeless, how effective is that? So Aspire provides housing and opportunities for jobs. It can make a real difference when people have a place to live, and they start working and getting back on their feet.” “You don’t just help their issue, you help their entire life,” added Stubbs. “Treating them, getting them back to work — it’s a pretty amazing thing.” Gardening tips Planning your garden this spring? Here are a few tips from Jeremy Stubbs, farm manager at Aspire Indiana Harvestland Farm: • Start seeds indoors – Home gardeners can get a head start on spring planting by germinating seeds indoors. “Keep the root base warm to germinate the seed; it needs to be an average of at least 70 degrees or so. Once it starts coming out of the soil, it’s going to need light, so put it by a sunny window.” Stubbs recommends using a seeding tray with a builtin heating pad, which can be purchased at a home improvement store. • Soil preparation – Good soil is essential to a thriving garden. “Not everybody has good soil in their yards. An easy way to get around that is to do raised bed gardening. That allows you to get a foot and a half of storebought really good soil to start, and as you’re growing things you can mix in the leaves and things that fall in over time. Then every so often you amend it with some more fertilizer.” • Rotate your crops – Don’t plant the same vegetable in the same location year after year. “Grow it once and move it to another spot, and then grow something else. It helps the soil and the nutrient levels.” • Proper washing/cooling – Once your crops are ready to be harvested, be sure to cool them down after picking them. “When it’s hot, you can’t pick it and let it sit on the table. You’ve got to get it in some cool water, or it will just wilt in 10 minutes.” This is especially important for leafy vegetables, like lettuce varieties and spinach. To learn more Visit www.yourmarketgarden.org or the farm store, 6775 Indiana 32, Anderson. Store hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
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Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
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Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
http://www.heraldbulletin.com/community/dreamstakerootataspireindianasharvestlandfarm/article_e4bf39264ba65b98aeadfa592c2b03c4.html
Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana's Harvestland Farm By Julie Campbell | For The Herald Bulletin Mar 22, 2015
It may look like a typical farm, but Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm grows more than garden variety crops. Inside the greenhouses, along with vegetables and herbs, there are hopes and dreams taking root and flourishing. “It started as a garden with the idea of employing people,” said Mike Keevin, manager of Aspire’s Social Enterprises programs. “We didn’t even use our own space — we started it at Davis Park. And then we were able to buy this property and expand that.” Today, Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm, which has its store on Indiana 32 between Anderson and Lapel, employs 15 people. Many of them have had some kind of barrier to employment. “We see a lot of people who are very thankful to have a job, because they’ve been turned down other places or where other employers wouldn’t understand what they’ve been through,” Keevin said. The operation, which includes nine large greenhouses and approximately 13 acres of farmland, utilizes organic growing practices and sells its produce to highend restaurants as well as to farmers markets in Indianapolis. “We also sell to the public here in our farm store and through our CSA — Community Supported Agriculture — program,” Keevin said. “People can buy a share in the farm before it’s ever grown, and then they get a weekly basket of produce.” Growing crops in a greenhouse has its set of benefits and challenges, said Jeremy Stubbs, farm manager at Harvestland. “Temperature control is a doubleedged sword. In the winter, it’s a battle,” said Stubbs, adding that he has had to run propane heat in the greenhouses during many of the extremely cold days this winter. http://www.heraldbulletin.com/community/dreamstakerootataspireindianasharvestlandfarm/article_e4bf39264ba65b98aeadfa592c2b03c4.html
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1/31/2017
Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
“But even on a day when it’s 20 degrees outside, if the sun is shining and it’s not overcast, these greenhouses are 80 to 85 degrees.” In the late spring, Stubbs and his staff will plant crops outside in the fields as well, but the greenhouses will remain in operation. “We’ll be converting a lot of this stuff to tomatoes and bell peppers and other things that really love heat. Heat isn’t a problem because we can open up the vents and blow it out with fans,” he said. Whether in the greenhouses or on the farm, Stubbs and his crew tend to a wide variety of crops yearround. In addition to “traditional” crops such as broccoli, carrots, onions, radishes and tomatoes, they grow specialty items for restaurants. “We grow something called broccoli rabe, which tastes like broccoli, but it’s not even part of the broccoli family. All the highend restaurants eat it up,” Stubbs said, adding Aspire even sells the flowers of the plant for restaurants to use as garnish. “We also do different things like sorrel, which is a green that tastes like lemon, beet greens, spicy salad mix greens and herbs like cilantro, rosemary, thyme.” In addition to the farm, Aspire’s Social Enterprises programs include vending services, cleaning services and a jewelry business that produces recovery glass cecklaces.” Social Enterprises employs 42 people, Keevin said. “One of the big philosophies of Aspire is treating the whole person,” Keevin said. “You could bring a homeless person in and treat them for whatever mental illness they might have, but if you send them back out again to be homeless, how effective is that? So Aspire provides housing and opportunities for jobs. It can make a real difference when people have a place to live, and they start working and getting back on their feet.” “You don’t just help their issue, you help their entire life,” added Stubbs. “Treating them, getting them back to work — it’s a pretty amazing thing.” Gardening tips Planning your garden this spring? Here are a few tips from Jeremy Stubbs, farm manager at Aspire Indiana Harvestland Farm: • Start seeds indoors – Home gardeners can get a head start on spring planting by germinating seeds indoors. “Keep the root base warm to germinate the seed; it needs to be an average of at least 70 degrees or so. Once it starts coming out of the soil, it’s going to need light, so put it by a sunny window.” Stubbs recommends using a seeding tray with a builtin heating pad, which can be purchased at a home improvement store. • Soil preparation – Good soil is essential to a thriving garden. “Not everybody has good soil in their yards. An easy way to get around that is to do raised bed gardening. That allows you to get a foot and a half of storebought really good soil to start, and as you’re growing things you can mix in the leaves and things that fall in over time. Then every so often you amend it with some more fertilizer.” • Rotate your crops – Don’t plant the same vegetable in the same location year after year. “Grow it once and move it to another spot, and then grow something else. It helps the soil and the nutrient levels.” • Proper washing/cooling – Once your crops are ready to be harvested, be sure to cool them down after picking them. “When it’s hot, you can’t pick it and let it sit on the table. You’ve got to get it in some cool water, or it will just wilt in 10 minutes.” This is especially important for leafy vegetables, like lettuce varieties and spinach. To learn more Visit www.yourmarketgarden.org or the farm store, 6775 Indiana 32, Anderson. Store hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
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Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
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Herald Bulletin Events FEB
11 TUE
31
TUE
31
TUE
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Muncie Symphony Orchestra Emens Auditorium | Muncie, IN
Toddler Tango Anderson Public Li... | Anderson, IN
January 31 ~ Recital Night Band Loran G. Skinner A... | Pendleton, IN
Financial Education Workshop: Co... Anderson Public Li... | Anderson, IN
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Dreams take root at Aspire Indiana’s Harvestland Farm | Life & Times | heraldbulletin.com
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