For anyone who remembers a mother or grandmother canning home-grown vegetables for the winter, they have a sense of what has become known as “home processing.” But through Kentucky’s ever diversifying agricultural landscape, that old tradition has become an industry all its own.
Thanks to legislation passed nearly 10 years ago, farmers were in essence allowed to process in their own kitchens under certain regulations. This opened the door to a variety of value-added products that have become a staple in the local-foods movement and turned some farms into family destinations.
Technically speaking, House Bill 391 stated, “Products produced under this program may be marketed at the following locations: farmers markets listed with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Certified Roadside Stands listed with Kentucky Farm Bureau, or from the processor’s farm … Farmers or individuals who wish to process foods to sell or market to other locations, such as restaurants and grocery stores, will need to obtain a commercial permit from the Kentucky Food Safety Branch to operate.”
In the past 10 years, the number of products has grown immensely, along with the number of venues in which to sell those products.
Triple J Farm in Georgetown is a classic example of a traditional farm that is evolving, keeping a hold on the past but very much on the move toward expanding its
offerings.
Jessica McQuade, along with her parents, brother and husband, operate the farm; McQuade handles the marketing end of the business, as well. The farm is home to fruits and vegetables including melons, tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans and peppers, to name a few. The family also operates a direct-to-consumer beef operation, free-range chickens for the eggs, grain, hay and a composting business.
McQuade said farming has been in the family for generations. It was the beef operation that actually began the direct-to-consumer side of the business 14 years ago, with the produce coming along seven years ago.
“We go to farmers markets and do a CSA [consumer supported agriculture] program,” she said.
Those efforts alone keep the farm busy. But next year, thanks to cost-share grants from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, the farm will add a certified kitchen on site, and there are plans to establish a storefront, set to open next year.
In creating these value-added goods, McQuade said the idea is to generate as little waste as possible with their own produce and to help other farmers find a place for their goods.
Produce farmers have struggled with the problem of wasted goods, as there is less time to get ripe fruits and vegetables to a market. There is also the issue of “seconds,” or products that may not look the best but which are still very usable.
Turning those seconds into something different is a way to utilize the produce while creating new products for a growing consumer demand.
After the new kitchen is in operation, McQuade said they plan to make jams and jellies, and pickles, as well as package green beans, tomato juice, salsa and relishes.
“Anything that we think we can turn into something, that’s what we are planning,” she said. “It’s too hard to watch things go to waste, and in the produce business, it seems like it is an everyday occurrence. It seems like we are pitching things with nothing wrong, except for the way it looks. This is just figuring out another route for it.”
McQuade said she is seeing more and more customers interested in buying local goods.
“I think people just really want to know where their food is coming from,” she said. “And I think putting a face with the farm really helps.”
McQuade also said that while Kentucky is a rural state, there are still a lot of urban areas where residents don’t realize what it takes to raise their food or what the growing seasons are here.
“It’s a learning experience for them a lot of times to see how weather affects crops, how the seasons change and what goes in and out during certain times of the year,” she said. “So, it’s been a really good movement and educational for both sides: for farmers to learn what people want, and then for consumers to learn what is available throughout the year.”
McQuade added that because the drought has gotten so much media attention this year, consumers are becoming a little more aware of their food sources and have begun to see the rise in super market prices.
In discovering the local goods, McQuade thinks consumers are seeing the quality over quantity aspect associated with home processors.
“Just because you can buy a lot of something and it’s cheaper, doesn’t make it taste better. Things don’t ripen on the shelf, they ripen in the field,” she said. “I’ve found that a lot of the farmers market prices are competitive with the grocery stores.”
For the Triple J Farm, the future looks bright as new products will soon be on the way. McQuade said the biggest issue right now is being patient while the expansion project gets completed.
“Expanding the on-farm market and having the kitchen up and running next year, those are things we would like to continue to grow for several years. I think that will keep us as busy as we want to be,” she said.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud marketing program has helped to get these homemade products out into the public’s eye. To find just about any of these products across the state, go to www.kyagr.com/buyky/index.aspx.