Today we’d like to introduce you to Nat Bjerke-Harvey.
Hi Nat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Piccalilli Farm. a diversified market farm and catering company, was started in 2013 by Nat and Alison Bjerke-Harvey when they purchased 60 acres outside Manhattan Kansas. Ali and Nat had spent years in the restaurant industry, and wanted to return to her home town to start a market farm focused on seasonal production and local food. Ali and Nat are both first generation farmers – they come to agricultural from the perspective of passionate eaters committed to seasonality and deliciousness. There farm is very diversified – they manage a large layer hen flock, produce vegetables year around on just shy of 2 acres, raise broiler chickens and turkeys for meat, and manage a small herd of dairy goats. Their catering company focuses on baked goods for the farmers market with local ingredients from fruit to flour to eggs and dairy. Their value added food program focuses on seasonal ingredients done simply and deliciously, and they are proud of their role in the Flint Hills food community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ahhh Yes ?
No I am kidding. There has been very little “smooth road” about the ride of building our small farm out here in the Flint Hills. As I mentioned, we are first generation farmers, so we started this business with no existing infrastructure, and it was only through incredible will-power, endless reinvestment, a commitment to our values, and a willingness to work 100+ hour weeks that our farm was able to get itself off the ground and propelled to where we are now. Alot of the struggles for us along the way fit broadly into typical agricultural dilemmas – learning how to grow vegetables organically in the unbalanced agricutural ecosystems of Kansas, discovering how attractive pastured poultry is to all the predators of the Flint Hills, and learning how to farm in a way where you also allocate time for being a good partner, a good parent, and good to yourself.
Our successes have been in building a local food culture that is so supportive of what we do and are a group of passionate eaters as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Piccalilli Farm is a diversified farm focusing on organic vegetable production and pasture raised meat and our catering business focuses on bespoke pastries that have seasonal fillings and local ingredients. It is our commitment to seasonality and local ingredients that differentiates us with our catering company, and our 4 season vegetable production helps keep our customers returning year around.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Not a big believer in luck – its more part grit and sunshine that got us hear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.piccalillifarm.com/
- Instagram: @piccalilli_farm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PiccalilliFarm
