Through our Farmer Program, these farming businesses currently license plots at Good Hope Farm:
Sarah Carrier’s agribusiness, Rhizal Farm, arrived at Good Hope Farm in 2022. She splits her half-acre plot between growing exotic mushrooms and flowers. Both are available through the farm’s annual CSA program, as well as local farmers markets.
Natural & Local LLC was founded by Ramrati Lohain in 2020 with her husband, Dasharath Lohar and serves the community through fresh produce, locally adapted seeds, plants and Organic Gardening Kits for home growers. They grow a variety of vegetables and herbs on 1.5 acres to serve diverse community needs, particularly Asian. They both are originally from Nepal and have extensive gardening experience. Dasharath has a doctorate degree in plant biotechnology with over 25 years’ experience. As a plant breeder, he actively develops vegetable varieties on the farm that perform locally. Natural & Local’s motto is “nourishing people and the planet” by producing nutritious vegetables and herbs through natural means locally.They can be reached at NaturalnLocal@gmail.com.
Saranya Sarasagopalan runs her agribusiness LVS Farms with the help of two friends and family members. LVS Farms will be growing Asian and other vegetables on 1.5 acres this year at Good Hope Farm and will be cultivating a variety of Indian medicinal herbs and green leafy vegetables. LVS only uses natural manure like matured cow dung and homemade fertilizer. This year LVS is aiming to grow more CSA shares with more varieties. “Being connected to nature is the best part of our lives. By growing organic food not only do we eat healthy we also keep our mother earth happy.”
Sekar Srinivasan and his wife Dhivya Jayabal arrived at Good Hope Farm in 2022 after ten years of growing in community gardens and a background of both being raised in farming families. Their farm, Nithin’s, grows a variety of vegetables, including spinach, cilantro, radishes, onions, capsicum, a variety of Asian vegetables, and Indian medicinal herbs on a 1 acre plot. Everything is organically grown with the goal of providing families with healthy, locally grown food.
Yulin Wu grew up on a farm in China, and was an avid gardener prior to starting his market operation, Garden-Fresh Farm, at Good Hope Farm in 2017. This year he will be growing corn, beans, sweet potatoes, Chinese yam, tomatoes, peppers, and melons on a 0.5 plot.
Pradeep Macharla started farming in 2023 on a 0.5 acre plot. ZetGo Farms grows organic vegetables, herbs and fruits with a special focus (not limited) on produce that is consumed in the Indian subcontinent. We believe that farming is a kind of meditation and can act as a calming therapy, especially after a heavy coding session. Pradeep has decades of Software Engineering experience, while also growing produce in backyard.
Chris Kafer’s agribusiness, Stone House Breeding, joined Good Hope Farm in 2023 to expand their breeding operations. The mission of Stone House Breeding is to create new open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of tomatoes that are uniquely adapted to the challenging growing conditions of the NC Piedmont, with a focus on traits that are attractive to home gardeners. Chris grows his tomato plants on his 0.25 acre plot.