The Organic Grind
Sarah Longstreth washes off the radishes picked from the morning harvest Sept. 14, 2020
Sarah Longstreth opens the door to the refrigeration/storage unit to begin inventory for harvest at 7:45 a.m. Sept. 14, 2020 at Good Stead Farm in Hope MI. Longstreth and her apprentices harvest every Monday and Thursday, and packages the produce for distribution.
The view of Good Stead Farm as I arrived for harvest day, Sept. 14, 2020. Good Stead grows close to 100 different varieties of over 45 vegetables.
Sarah cuts and inspects each leaf of spinach for harvest Sept. 14, 2020. “I wanted a job that would allow for more physical work, while still being intellectually engaging,” Longstreth said
A flock of chickens escape from their enclosure as the morning harvest begins Sept. 14, 2020
Ken DeShano 64, Sarah’s uncle harvests dragon tongue beans Sept. 14, 2020. Ken is retired and likes to help out around the farm, “Gives me a couple of things to do,” DeShano said
Sarah’s mom DeAun Deshano, looks over the radish harvest with her on Sept. 14, 2020
Mason Stark pulls a wagon of harvest buckets, on Sept. 14, 2020. “I can feel myself getting tired now,” Stark said. “Moving around so much everyday is beneficial for your health though. I feel that this job is better than an office job.”
Sarah Longstreth has had an interest in agriculture for about 14 years. Traveling to Jordan to study abroad and help teach methods of sustainability in such harsh environments. She apprenticed at a small farm in Maine, and was an agriculture educator in Minnesota.
Having plenty of experience she opened up Good Stead Farms towards the end of 2014, this year will be her 6th season. Sarah maintains the farm with the help of her partner Mason Stark, as well as a handful of apprentices, and the help of her family.
Mason originally was working for a newspaper in San Antonio, TX, he started volunteering on the weekends to help out at a farm just outside the city. “It started as a weekend thing, but then I started using my sick days so I could spend more time at the farm,” Stark said.
Good Stead Farm is certified organic as well as community sourced agriculture. They don’t use pesticides of any kind and are often hand picking and checking on the produce. “Growing food that people are excited to eat, because it tastes and looks great… but it’s also super nutritious and gets people excited about food,” Longstreth said. This is the ultimate goal for the farm, and everyone who works on the farm is an example of that dedication.
This story was a lot of fun to do, it went a lot better than I was expecting it to go. I was nervous with the restraints from Covid, and the fact that I don’t drive. I was able to get the assignment done though and I’m happy with how it turned out. I took a lot of what everyone said in the critic to heart and found myself getting closer or lower to the subject to get the right angle. I feel that my social skills improved a bit during this assignment. I may not have been able to go out and shoot as liked, but the time I did spend there was great, by the time I left Monday I felt like one of the family. They even sent me home with fresh picked spinach from that mornings harvest. The areas where I felt that I struggled in were the interview aspect, I was taking all my notes on my phone and it felt really clunky. I think I want to try using an actual pen and notebook to help, and make it more personal with my subject than it looking like I’m just checking my phone.