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| Company Profile |
| Good Life Farms is operated by Darin and Deb and our children Caitlin, Julian, Josephine, and Autumn. We have been growing food for ourselves for many years. Recognizing the potential problems associated with chemical pesticides and herbicides, we have always avoided them. We started selling to the public in 2006, and our company was incorporated in 2007. Our farm has gone through many growth phases in the last few years. We switched to sub-surface irrigation in early 2008, and made the transition from traditional field crops to hydroponics in 2009. Every step makes our farm more sustainable and ensures that we will be able to provide good food for years to come. We emphasize water conservation, limited or no use of petroleum-based fertilizers, and the sanitary handling of produce. Our mission is to continue growing and learning, while providing healthy, fresh produce for ourselves and our customers. |
| About the Growers |
Darin Darin was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. He has been growing things for as long as he can remember, starting with maple keys when he was a very small child. He moved to the United States and became a legal permanent resident in 1991. Darin spent about 9 years working in safety and human resources before leaving to pursue something he loved. He has a bachelor's degree in the physical sciences and has completed the course work for a master's degree in the physical environment, specializing in the relationship between climate and vegetation. He and Deb met in early 2006, and began dreaming of the good life, which included running their own business, growing things, and raising a family. Darin spends countless hours every week tending his plants, managing his business, and seeking out better, more efficient ways of growing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deb Deb has always been interested in growing things, and she has a fondness for greenhouses. As a student of English Literature at Butler University, she spent many happy hours visiting greenhouses and botanical gardens, and often wondered what it would be like to work as a groundskeeper. Her first formal garden work began in 2004 as a retail associate at Fertile Gardens in Chicago. In 2005, Deb had the opportunity to volunteer for Traders Point Creamery, an organic dairy in Zionsville, Ind. where she became fascinated with sustainable growing methods. In 2006, she worked part-time as a retail associate at Fruitridge Gardens in Terre Haute, Ind. Deb has a bachelor's degree in English literature, and she earned her JD from the Indiana University School of Law in 2005. Her hobbies include playing the violin (sometimes fiddle) and working with her farm animals. After writing for three years for her hometown newspaper, the Terre Haute Tribune Star, Deb left to become more involved in the family business, and to become a full-time mom. She collaborates weekly with chefs at the various restaurants supplied by Good Life Farms, and she spends many hours preparing for markets, working in the fields and greenhouses, and continually learning better growing methods. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in the beginning: 2006, at the Terre Haute Downtown Farmer's Market. Darin, Deb, Caitlin, and Julian, with some of our earliest harvests. |
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Where it all began: This was our first "farm"
property, a little double lot back yard in Terre
Haute. Julian, here at about 6 years old,
planting lettuce plugs. 2006.
property, a little double lot back yard in Terre
Haute. Julian, here at about 6 years old,
planting lettuce plugs. 2006.
