EarthDance Farmers Formal 2022

Urban Harvest STL builds community around inclusive and resilient local food systems. Urban Harvest STL believes in food rights – all members of our community should have equitable access to fresh, healthy food regardless of socioeconomic status, race or location. They grow healthy produce across a network of urban farms in the heart of St. Louis and donate the majority of the harvest to nonprofit partners serving communities with limited or non-existent access to healthy, nutritious food. Urban Harvest STL also educates and engages the surrounding community in these efforts. Urban Harvest STL Farm Manager Ro Kicker is an alum of the EarthDance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship program, and Urban Harvest STL Farm Educator Kirsten Detec is an EarthDance AmeriCorps alum.

Rosy Buck Farm is currently in their sixth season of small-scale sustainable farming in Leasburg, Missouri. Farmers Holly Evans and Randy Buck believe that everyone has the right to know the whole story behind their food, from seed to plate. Their approach includes balanced farming, with diverse crops, which benefits the environment and produces tastier, more nutritious vegetables. Rosy Buck invites people to the farm for tours, and their produce is available at the Sol Food Farmers’ Market in Maplewood, Missouri and at the Wildwood Farmers’ Market.

Mushrooms Naturally is an urban farm, grow room, gardening information resource, and culinary mycological supply store, all in one. They are dedicated to growing delectable mushrooms, naturally. They offer a wide variety of products for anyone’s culinary endeavors and an amazing selection of mushroom growing experiences and supplies for every level of cultivation. Founder and Chef John Gelineau has been in the culinary business for over a decade, and his passion for excellent ingredients, grown with skill and care, led him to cultivate his own mushrooms as a hobby. Eventually, that hobby evolved into a working mushroom farm that supplies the top restaurants and country clubs in St. Louis.

Saint Louis University’s garden has been fulfilling its mission to improve access to healthy, local foods by providing nutrition and garden education to the St. Louis community since 2002. SLU dietetic interns decide what is planted in the garden during their academic rotation. The accessible garden bed serves as an education tool for special needs teachers and occupational and physical therapy students at Doisy College of Health Sciences. In the summer months, the garden is home to a culinary camp where children learn about planting, harvesting and preparing food from the garden. The garden and its programs provide a positive learning environment for SLU students and the St. Louis community — so much so that it has been integrated into a nutrition education curriculum for St. Louis city schools.

Flourish Farmstead farmers Eric & Crystal Stevens have an intrinsic passion for growing food and medicinal herbs, growing native plants, cooking healthy meals, planting trees, foraging for wild food and medicine, creating art, spending time with their children in the fields and forests and  educating  the community. Together, they sow the seeds, transplant crops into the ground, cultivate the rows, and harvest the bounty. They understand the importance of growing food for their community to engage involvement in the local foods movement, educate the public about growing healthy safe food, to support local businesses and to circulate funds back into the local economy. They share their produce through a weekly CSA.

Hart|Beet Farm was established in 2015 as a small, diversified farm in northern Lincoln County, MO. In 2018, they became Certified Naturally Grown, which is a grassroots alternative to the USDA’s Certified Organic program. They grow a variety of vegetables with the promise to never use pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. From their forest, they harvest many wild edibles including mushrooms, fruits, and maple sap. Their mission is to provide sustainably-produced, high quality foods to our community while improving the land and upholding our values of social and ecological justice. Their farming philosophy is focused on the health of the soil and all of the living organisms within it. Healthy soil produces healthy food for a healthy community.

Marigold Moon is a small, local herb and flower farm. They grow botanicals at Bellews Creek Farm in Hillsboro, Missouri, which is owned and operated by expert farmer Paul Krautmann. Marigold Moon collaborates regularly with Confluence Kombucha.

At Harmony Hills Farm, Mary Bolling and Brian Keeter tend to a growing herd of Southpoll steers, which is a core part of their commitment to regenerative agriculture. They move “the boys” to fresh pasture twice daily, ensuring they always have plenty of grass for grazing. This also concentrates their impact on the pasture to help build organic matter in our soil. This virtuous cycle improves pasture quality year after year, eliminating the need for toxic off-farm inputs while at the same time improving the nutritional quality of their beef.

Seeds of Hope is a Project of the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc. (CAASTLC). It is a small, diversified farm designed to increase access to affordable fresh produce through their unique income-tiered CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, bringing together members of all different economic backgrounds. Their produce is available for purchase as a weekly share that is picked up at the farm or at drop-spots in Overland and Bel-Ridge. Seeds of Hope Farm Manager Jake Smith is an alum of the EarthDance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship program.

At Three Spring Farms, partners Bryan and Andrew responsibly raise grassfed cattle and pastured pork and chicken for retail and wholesale beef lovers in the greater St. Louis area. The Three Spring Farms team includes Andrew Bachmann, Bridget Bachmann and Bryan Meyers. They formed this team in 2011 to raise grassfed beef in Perryville, Missouri. Their hope is to provide high quality, responsibly raised beef to our neighbors and interested customers in the Saint Louis region. Andrew and Bridget have extensive farming experience and local connections in Perryville, while Bryan hopes to leverage his relationships in Saint Louis to identify a new cohort of grassfed beef lovers.

Greathouse Garden is a one acre farm located in Hillsboro, MO, operated by Rachel Greathouse. The land is a part of Bellews Creek Farm. Presently, Greathouse Garden grows a selected variety of winter squash, with the hope of expanding into other crops for wholesale. Rachel is interested in growing restaurant wholesale items, and is taking chef crop suggestions at this time. If you have ideas of rare crops for her to grow, please email her at greathouse.garden.stl@gmail.com.

Brats of the World features old world recipes, fresh herbs and spices, and pasture raised meats. Styles of sausage include a wide variety from around the world, including South Africa, Germany, Thailand, Colombia, the Phillipines, and Morocco. Brats of the World can be found at the Tower Grove Farmers Market and the Boulevard Farmers Market.

Such and Such Farm is a 120-acre homestead located near DeSoto, MO that specializes in sustainably grown produce, responsibly raised animals and other cool stuff. Such and Such Farm has grown into the only “custom/boutique farm” in the St. Louis area. They grow unique heirloom produce and raise heritage animals specifically for chefs. They also offer their products at Tower Grove Farmer’s Markets, through their CSA and at events on our farm. Such & Such Farm Co-owner and Farmer Dave Blum is an alum of the EarthDance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship program.

Newman Farm is proud to be producing the highest quality Berkshire Pork in the United States. Their reputation has been built over the years by using genetic lines that produce beautiful pork, providing their customers with an eating experience that leaves them wanting more.

EarthDance is a teaching farm, sharing the craft and science of organic farming with people from all walks of life. Our 14-acre historic farm provides a model of sustainable food production. Through our Organic Farm School programs, EarthDance cultivates food leaders alongside abundant fresh produce. EarthDance advances food justice by training organic farmers and gardeners of all ages, providing connection to healthy food and the land, and cultivating vibrant community. EarthDance, located in Ferguson, Missouri, operates on the oldest organic farm west of the Mississippi. EarthDance Farm Manager Jena Hood and Assistant Grower Spencer Cook are alumni of the EarthDance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship program.

Rustic Roots Sanctuary’s mission is to create access to fresh, organic, locally grown food in Promise zones. They work to teach sustainability through agricultural education and career development, helping to heal individuals and communities through holistic health, putting power in the hands of local farmers and communities. Their vision is to create a sustainable retreat in Spanish Lake, mentoring and supporting growers in communities all over St Louis leading to greater food access, creating holistic health, wellness and healing for individuals and communities. They also teach sustainable agriculture, working to create food equity and heal trauma through nature, while simultaneously healing the planet.

Thies Farm and Greenhouses has been proudly growing for the St. Louis community since 1885. The business has expanded and diversified over the years, but sustainability has been a consistent focus. For the Thies family, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Every method and practice utilized by Thies Farm aims to conserve precious natural resources. Having the farm market on-site reduces transportation impacts and allows them to offer customers quality homegrown produce fresh from the fields. Produce is picked when ripe and available that same day, so there is no need to harvest crops prematurely to prolong shelf life and no need to use preservatives, waxes or other artificial additives.

Theodora Farms is a 10-acre USDA Certified Organic vegetable, herb, and flower farm in Godfrey, IL. Their mission is to catalyze the health and happiness of our community through food and agriculture. They offer over 40 types of sustainably grown, organic vegetables – all of which are hand-harvested at their peak quality for your peak enjoyment. Varieties and availabilities shift as the seasons progress, but you will always find plenty of tasty options! They select crop varieties based on flavor, texture, local interest (that’s you!), and geographic adaptability. Theodora Farms Farm Manager Jeff Adams is an EarthDance AmeriCorps alum. 

EarthDance is a teaching farm, sharing the craft and science of organic farming with people from all walks of life. Our 14-acre historic farm provides a model of sustainable food production. Through our Organic Farm School programs, EarthDance cultivates food leaders alongside abundant fresh produce. EarthDance advances food justice by training organic farmers and gardeners of all ages, providing connection to healthy food and the land, and cultivating vibrant community. EarthDance, located in Ferguson, Missouri, operates on the oldest organic farm west of the Mississippi. EarthDance Farm Manager Jena Hood and Assistant Grower Spencer Cook are alumni of the EarthDance Farm & Garden Apprenticeship program.

Brian Pelletier is the owner and chief chocolatier of Kakao Chocolate. In 2008, he found his true passion – making people happy with delicious chocolate confections. What started in a windowless basement has grown to three stores, 25 employees, and numerous local and national awards. Kakao Chocolate uses only the finest all-natural ingredients, with no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or sweeteners. We hand-dip our confections in small batches in our St. Louis shops – the extra time and care we give to this process produces a higher quality you’ll notice with your first bite.

Cravings has provided award winning desserts to the St Louis region and beyond for more than 25 years. It has earned its local reputation for excellent desserts and pastries, as well an national awards. With humble baking beginnings in Ireland, Cravings has grown to epitomize the best through its world class pastries that combine the best of American tastes with European influences. And, they’re not just a bakery – their current location in Webster Groves houses their cafe and restuarant. They also cater!