Learn About Jacob Daniel Farms

Jacob Daniel has always been an outdoorsy person, and working as a mechanical engineer full-time didn’t come with as much nature as he prefers. So in 2017, he joined the farm incubator program at Big River Farms at Maine on St. Croix, Minn. “I didn’t know anything about farming [back then], I just liked doing it,” Jacob says. “I wanted to see what went into [growing] organic produce….” Jacob farmed with a group for two years, took a break, and then came back in 2022 on his own, securing 1/8 of an acre with Big River Farms. Now, he says he’s learned how much work goes into farming organically and sustainably. We frequently carry red and green butter lettuces and basil from Jacob Daniel Farms at Seward Co-op.

Support Small-Scale, Local, Inclusively Owned, Sustainable Farms

Jacob works alongside his wife Joylyn, who helped raise cows, chickens, and goats and worked in agricultural fields while growing up in India. Jacob, also an Indian immigrant, says they both care deeply about what they put into their bodies. So their farm prioritizes sustainability, choosing crop rotation, composting, and biological pest management as natural alternatives to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. “The one thing I enjoy most,” Jacob says, “is that feeling you have where you’re not using any kinds of pesticides or chemicals that can harm you or anybody consuming your food. So when I’m selling it to someone, I have that confidence in me that you’re going to taste some of the best food and it’s not going to harm you.” Working with co-ops has allowed Jacob and Joylyn to improve their produce and practices, as the feedback they receive from small-scale grocers gives them the support to help deliver a quality product and great service.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOODS PROGRAM

LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY FOODS PRODUCERS