Kent Family Growers was started in 2002.

We are certified organic through NOFA-NY. We have an Article 20-C Food Processing License (through Ag & Markets) for freezing produce and making value-added products from our farm kitchen.

There are degrees of local. Buying goods from people you know in your town could be considered, “hyper-local” but the amount of local suppliers is limited in St. Lawrence County. I consider “local” to extend to a 100-mile radius, or more, from my home.

We have the freedom to experiment with our work and try new methods every year. There is a lot of variables to contend with in farming, (weather, workers, wholesale market trends…) and it never gets boring. We also love being able to do physical work outdoors on a daily basis.

Some of our biggest challenges are machinery break-downs! Hot temperatures. Cold temperatures. Drought. Too much rain. Hungry insects. Hungry deer. Hungry woodchucks. Fungal and bacterial problems. Low prices for some wholesale crops; we can’t always set the price.

The Potsdam Co-op has been a long-standing buyer and supporter of our farm. We have been working together since we started the farm and love the close relationship we have. We are proud that our produce is consistently available for Co-op shoppers throughout the year.

We may increase our wholesale business and add some new value-added products to our Winter CSA offerings. Farming SMARTER, not harder, is our goal moving forward. We’re improving our winter storage capacity, and conditions, to store certain produce (squash, potatoes, cabbage, etc) to sell throughout the winter months.

We operate a Summer and a Winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Over 250 households are supplied with produce each year through our CSA.