Episode 159: Jennie Merkel

Jennie Merkel has always been interested in food. While in high school Jennie would look forward to the new issue of Bon Appetite arriving in the mail the same way that other girls would anticipate Seventeen Magazine. When having sleepovers, Jennie’s guests would stay up late, not gossiping, but baking an apple pie from scratch. However, it was not until she and her husband moved into their first house that Jennie started thinking about growing her own food. In the backyard there was a small plot of strawberries the previous owners had planted. The plants had been neglected, but they produce the most delicious strawberries Jennie had ever tasted. Eating perfectly ripe, super sweet strawberries still warm from the sun was the best breakfast a girl could have (that is, until she got chickens and had farm fresh eggs with potatoes so fresh they made a crunching sound when she cut them).

Finally Jennie decided to take the plunge into farming, and completed an apprenticeship at the Seed Farm where she leared how to farm organically. She is currently in her second season farming. She has a mixed vegetable, egg and chicken CSA, and also sells at a local farmers market. In the future she hopes to expand into value added products made from her own produce. Thanks to our sponsor, White Oak Pastures.

— Jennie Merkel on Greenhorn Radio