Karma Farm
Monkton, Maryland | EST. 2016
Farmers: Jon and Nat Shaw
Number of farms: One
Traditional Farm: 4 acres Hoop houses, row houses
Business Model: Direct to Restaurant
Area Served: Baltimore, Maryland
Main Crops: Lettuces,
Red Vein Sorrel, Scarlett Frills, Baby Amara, Tatsoi, Mizuna
Background
Jon always had a passion for organic vegetable gardening and, after 45 years, he transformed his hobby into a career and launched Karma Farm.
Beyond a traditional soil operation, Jon had success with season extension practices including hoop and row houses. The farm became a family endeavor when Jon's son Nat – a business and sustainability student – discovered the Leafy Green Machine™ and the duo decided to bring it to Karma Farm.
Today, the father-son team run the farm, with Jon farming his traditional land and Nat running the hydroponic operations. With the joint operation, the Shaws provide the Baltimore area's farm-to-table restaurants with a variety of vegetables, including lettuces, leafy greens, and herbs which they grow year-round in the LGM™.
“I was motivated to become a Freight Farmer because of my desire to turn our family farm into a sustainable business.”
Learn more about Karma Farm
Webinar
Take an in-depth look at Karma Farm in our one hour interview with Jon and Nat Shaw. We cover everything, from incorporating hydroponics into an existing farm, marketing to chefs, and more
Webinar Recap
For those of you who didn't get a chance to listen live, or are looking for a shorter summary, check out this blog post! We've outlined the main points from our discussion as well as some follow-up questions with Jon and Nat.
Karma Farm Q&A
We asked Jon and Nat questions about their experience farming, motivations for becoming a Freight Farmer, finding customers, and more!
10 Reasons to Add Hydroponics to a Traditional Farm
The Greenery requires no previous farming experience to operate. However, those already managing successful farms can reap extra benefits. Aside from extending your season—and of course, your income—into the full calendar year, our soil farmers always appreciate conveniences like harvesting upright, forgetting about weeds, avoiding pests, and many more.
“As soon as I saw Jon’s products, I knew he had a very special touch with the ingredients and was someone who truly cares about quality.”
Hear from Mark Levy, Executive Chef at Magdalena in Baltimore, MD
Get in touch
We would love to hear from you about your farming project. Contact us for customized information tailored for your unique needs.