Almost 2 years ago, Nelson Carter planted a few test plots on a 300 acre piece of land that he owned in the city of Celina, TX. His main goal in doing these test plots was to see if they would work to start selling produce to a few local chefs.
Nelson has had a love for farming for as long as he can remember. Him and his family have always kept a large garden and have also kept a variety of animals for years. So he had some experience in farming when he planted his test plots.
After having success on a small scale, they expanded last year to five acres of production. They now grow a large variety of vegetables, and are continuously adding more variety when they prove a success. But with North Texas' climate and the numerous bugs that plague the land, it has been a difficult journey. Nelson is constantly trying to formulate plans for a successful farm, without the use of pesticides.
Nelson strives to make his farm as efficient as possible. One of those ways is their water system. "We have a fairly robust water system. Approximately 1/2 mile of 2" underground water lines, all automated timers with electronic valves. This allows us to set various plots on automatic timers and water the crops without any man hours lost. the system is tied to our lake (100,000,000 gallons), rainwater barrels (5,000 gallons) and as a last resort a local rural water system. Our lake is our primary water source for the farm."
The farm supplies produce and meat to 10 different restaurants. They built 8 green houses, that they cover completely during the winter, to be able to continue supplying their customers with produce year round.
Local residents have also taken an interest in their farm, and the Carters invite anyone interested to come and get a tour of the farm. They've had many home school families bring their kids down on field trips and Nelson teaches them about the different kinds of produce they grow and all about how the farm works.
Aside from produce, they also sell organic, grass fed meat. They currently have 60 sheep and 11 cows and sell their meats to restaurants and local customers.
They also own 16 beehives at the present, and produced approximately 200lbs this past year. But they hope to continue expand their inventory to 35 hives and be able to supply their restaurants, as well as local customers, with honey all year round.
The farm currently has 160 laying hens, and sells their eggs to both local and commercial clients.
Nelson describes his love for farming and commitment to honesty like this, "I love the simplicity of life and the wholesome nature of farming. It’s somehow getting back to the fundamentals of life – caring for things and feeding people with healthy, honest and transparent foods. Small-scale farming is all about relationships; with our suppliers, our bank, our neighboring farms, our most importantly our customers. We manufacture the product, prepare the product, deliver the product and stand behind the product. There’s no middle men in the relationships."
