(L to R) Joseph, Kelsey, and Tyler harvesting spring beets and broccoli at Valley Spirit Farm.
This National Farmers Market Week, we are celebrating the partnerships with farms and farmers markets across the Commonwealth that make our work possible! We recently spoke with Kelsey Voit, former Glean Kentucky Field Coordinator, current Vegetable Foreman, and all-around local food systems rockstar, about our gleaning partnership with Valley Spirit Farm. Located in Campbellsburg in North Central Kentucky, Valley Spirit Farm has partnered with Glean Kentucky for the past two years.
How did you become involved with your local food system?
I’ve been involved in food movement work in Kentucky for a decade – farming vegetables, working on agricultural policy, and organizing around several local efforts to combat food apartheid. I came to this work through a love for delicious food and a commitment to justice.
Valley Spirit Farm is a diversified vegetable and beef cattle farm utilizing organic practices on over 100 acres in Henry County since 2014. We sell our food through farmers markets, wholesale, and contribute to a CSA.
Glean picks up our perishable extras from market and they have come out to the farm several times to harvest produce, from bunched greens to bok choy to cabbage, when we are ready to prepare that soil for a new crop.
I worked for Glean last year, so it was easy to build the connection between Glean and Valley Spirit. We don’t produce food waste on the farm per se as any excess produce becomes food for the cows or food for the soil. We love partnering with Glean because community is integral to our work, and Glean gives us more opportunities to feed people.
