Moon Farm

Moon Farm is the

The future of food is local, sustainable, produce grown responsibly. We are a , , operation.

Only the best produce, eggs, pastured poultry, and more!

03/07/2025

Rabbit is back!
After some initial confusion from the Division of Meat Inspection, the matter has been resolved. I just received a call from my meat inspector letting me know I am OK to process rabbit for sale at my farm (and also quail, should we raise them again in the future). Rabbits (and quail) are considered non-amenable meaning they don't fall under the rules and restrictions of other types of meat like beef and pork which requires a USDA inspector for every piece produced. The only restrictions are that the rabbits must be born and raised at the farm, as we've always done.

Thankfully the matter has been resolved, thanks to my friends at the OSU agriculture extension, and for the division of Meat Inspection following up on the matter.

Rabbit is now available in my shop again, or send me a message. Anyone can order for pickup.

We will still be proceeding with the plan to take a bunch to a USDA inspected processor so they can be sold at the farmers market this year in addition to many new things we will offer with our forthcoming manufacturing license (ready to eat salad bowls for a fresh lunch at the market, anyone?)

02/01/2025

Excited to share some progress made on a very important project I'm taking week-by-week.

If you've been following a while, this shed got an unexpected makeover after the greenhouse fire. As the fire spread to the shed, the fire department destroyed all of the insulation inside, spraying it off the walls to prevent combustion. It made an awful mess, and all of the insulation had to be removed. Some electrical needed to be repaired and replaced, but overall was salvageable thanks to the destructive power of the fire hoses.

But now it's getting new life. This was always the plan, but thanks to my successful honeycomb project freeing up capital, and growth of our home delivery program, it's finally affordable- in small chunks each week. We're on week 7 of this project now.

First, new insulation. A much better job than the previous insulation. Followed by my first ever experience with drywall. It's not perfect, but im happy with it. I have 4 sheets left to hang next week, followed by mudding and taping. Then sanding and painting.

Then flooring.
Then plumbing.
Then new fixtures.

When completed, I'll finally have my hand washing sink, 3 bay sink, and prep sink as well as a new steel prep table, freezers, and dedicated egg cooler. We'll have a fully functional kitchen!
Plan is to be completed by end of April or early May, and use it to expand our product selections to include preserved foods, dried herbs and teas, and more! Once we begin harvesting catfish, there may even be a potential for a custom exempt processing license to do fresh, on farm fish for our customers.

And finally, the key rack my mom got me for Christmas the first season at the farm will be able to hang up!
We're making big moves, and I'm glad you're along for the journey.

01/29/2025

Let's talk about eggs.

I just finished up financials for the 2024 year. My average cost to produce a dozen eggs in 2024 was $4.83 This includes power for the incubator, and heat lamps to hatch the chicks. Feed for the first 6 months that they lay 0 eggs, bedding for the brooder, coops, etc. Feed for the adult birds. Power and water to wash eggs, and store them.

Plus $30/yr for the egg license from ODA.
$66/year for the required water test from the health department.
And then if I want to take the eggs to the farmers market, my booth costs $50/week, and the mobile food license from the health department costs $265/yr.

All in cost for a dozen eggs is $4.83 to produce and sell at my scale.

Last year, I could sell eggs at the farmers market for $5/doz. Which means I made $0.17 per dozen. On average I'd have maybe 20-25 doz a week, meaning my weekly profit from eggs at market would be about $3-4.

Labor wasn't factored in here. Daily feeding, watering, egg collecting, and washing earned me $0.50 a day.

So how were eggs at the store $1.70 for the longest time, if they cost so much to produce? First, let's be clear that store eggs from birds crammed tightly in a barn (even without cages, fully confined), and fed cheap grain is not the same as a free range fresh egg. But here's what's important:

Eggs are a loss leader.

Loss leaders are products the grocery store takes a loss on, knowing they're a staple in shopping. Low prices on staples helps bring in customers to buy other things that are profitable. Milk is another typical loss leader.

So the prices you remember were lower than cost to begin with, and produced as cheaply as possible.

So the next time you see cheap cage eggs at $4/5 doz at the store, that's not really a high price, but a correction to the actual price it costs to produce. As supply tightens, stores know just having eggs is better than a loss leader.

So what's the plan for 2025? First, increasing the size of the flock. I plan to double the flock this year.
I've already increased my prices to match. My CSA is now $4.50 a dozen. At the market I will likely be at $6/doz this year. Thank you for eating local!

01/22/2025

Got the winter blues? How about some greens instead?? 🥬🥦🥕Join our Farm-to-Family delivery route and choose your own fresh veggies from Moon Farm! Add-on some eggs, or shop premium items from our local partners like beef, coffee, and more!

🚀👨🏻‍🚀 Join the route at https://EatMF.com

01/19/2025

Going to be very cold the next couple days, so I definitely need to post this PSA: some dogs are bred and acclimated to handle this job. Picture 1: Murphy laying in the snow chewing an ice. 2: Murphy testing the straw, which he ultimately decided isn't good enough because: picture 3: Murphy choosing to sleep in the snow out on the hill.

Murphy has a very important job to do. It's the time of year where coyotes are breeding and starving and looking for food but ALSO the time of year where I have baby goats being born or very pregnant moms who are limited in their speed. Murphy makes sure that coyotes don't rip these goats apart limb from limb in a gruesome, horrible death. Murphy is the reason my goats stay safe, and he does the job exceptionally well. It is so important, especially this time of year, that Murphy is out there to do his job.

I have cameras out, I check everyone regularly, they are equipped and ready to handle the impending cold. If you see anything amiss or have questions, you're welcome to reach out to me directly - 330-203-1193

Thank you!

12/05/2024

Well, the first bit of snow is on the ground, so it's time for our annual tradition: introducing Murphy!

This is Murphy, nearly 150lbs of goofball and teefs. This will be his 4th winter at the farm. He lives with his goats full time, even in what seems to be the worst weather. He is an Anatolian shepherd, a breed developed in the mountains of Turkey to handle the harsh winters guarding flocks from predators like wolves. His cost is amazingly thick, and you'll regularly find me warming my fingers in it.

While we don't have wolves, we do have a pretty substantial coyote pressure, and the occasional foxes. As the winter cold sets in, the coyotes get hungrier, making this time of year one of the most important times for Murphy to be on the job. In his time here, I've never lost a goat to a predator. He is vital to ensuring the littlest babies avoid a terrible death.

Murphy was raised with livestock his whole life, is acclimated to the weather, and enjoys nothing more than napping in a snow bank. I keep a close eye on him and the livestock through my cameras, and check often to make sure nobody has issues from the cold. He has access to water, eats heartily, snoozes in a comfy bed of warm straw and handles the cold much better than he does the heat of summer.

If you have questions or concerns about Murphy or anything at the farm, please reach out to me. Social media messages, email, or my cell number on my website.

11/27/2024

We have fresh bunches of tender Tokyo Bekana available for our delivery peeps this next week! These are arguably the most beautiful things in the greenhouse right now.

Tokyo Bekana is absolutely delicious. Simple sautee compliments many dishes.
https://highlandorchardsfarmmarket.com/sauteed-tokyo-bekana/

11/09/2024

Some of the sweetest lettuce and delicious microgreens will be available on the delivery route next week. We'd love to add you! Check out our bundles at eatMF.com :)

10/30/2024

Where are my pak Choi lovers?? I'm super excited with how beautiful this baby choy turned out. It is so juicy and delicious! Pak Choi is super healthy, has a nutty flavor and is delicious in soups (like egg drop soup) and steamed or stir fried. The thick stems hold up really well and are crunchy and delicious!

Pak Choi and the more leafy brother Tatsoi are both available this week as an option for our delivery bundles! Get signed up at eatMF.com

10/12/2024

Last chance to invest!
I believe the campaign ends at noon today, so don't wait!

You can help us establish our new aquaculture operation and grow more food for your family! Investment opportunities start at $100 and earn 14.75 apy!

Link in Bio or Check out Moon Farm on Honeycomb! https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/Moon-Farm

10/09/2024

3 DAYS LEFT!
We're on the final stretch of our capital fundraiser, and we are incredibly thankful for all of the investors who have backed us so far! Thanks to you, we will be in a much more sustainable place moving forward.

That means all the boring stuff is out of the way, and you can help us with the more exciting, but arguably more important parts of the project- building out the new aquaculture system.

Our new pond will provide water security, new products, and new revenue in the next season. Having ready access to clean water means we can grow more, grow bigger, and produce more delicious food for your family!

You can invest for as little as $100, and earn 14.75% interest on your investment (about $40 in return on top of every $100 invested).

Don't miss out! Help us hit our goal by investing today!
https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/Moon-Farm

10/07/2024

Feels good to be back in action. Not 100%, but maybe 95%. Still a while left on the return of our popular celery.

We finished up the summer market season this last weekend. Looking back, it's been one of the best seasons we've had despite our late setback. I am truly humbled and thankful for everyone that came to the farmer's market and got some delicious veggies.

I know how important building a community is for local businesses, especially within the local food ecosystem. We have always enjoyed building these relationships and learning from our customers how to better meet their needs. From changes in the varieties we grow, two massive updates to our home delivery service to make it easier, more accessible, and more valuable to our customer. We love you, and I hope that shows.

We're coming up on the end of our capital fundraiser. As of now, there are 5 days left. This project will ensure that next season we maintain access to vital water, which will allow us to grow more, plant earlier, and grow better food for you and your family's. It will also add a new product, and a new potential revenue stream, in the production of catfish for your table.

We would love your support in this project. You can invest in our local business for as little as $100. I would much rather pay my friends back, then an unknown Bank in New York City. You can earn $40 for every $100 you invest when you join our fundraiser today.

Check out the link in my bio, or visit https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/Moon-Farm to learn more.

09/24/2024

Investment Campaign Update!
We've raised enough to cover debt refinancing, and enough to cover repairs to the greenhouse after the fire. We've now started chipping away at the pond excavation cost. Your investment can help us dig!

Or, invest $1.4k to cover the massive water pump that will make it all possible, including powering new irrigation across the farm.

Invest $700 to fund the new Seine, a long net which will make it possible to pull the fresh fish out at harvest time OR help construct the new hatchery, which will let us expand the fish production 4x in year 2.

$2.1k stocks the fish for the first year's production.

Will you help us hit the fully-funded goal? Earn 14.75% interest on your investment, or about $40 for every $100 invested!

Link in bio, or visit https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/moon-farm

09/19/2024

We hit our minimum goal for our Honeycomb offering! This means that we can get started on our new aquaculture operation and preparing for growth in the coming year. But we’re not done just yet! We want to raise enough to hit our max goal. If we hit our max goal, we'll be able to get a new delivery vehicle for bringing our delicious food to people's doors, repair and improve the greenhouse after the fire, and be ready to stock our catfish in the spring by securing early -bird pricing! Are you ready to help us get there, together? Our growth is your growth, invest today starting at $100!

https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/moon-farm

09/11/2024

We're raising funds to expand the farm! You can invest in Moon Farm, earn a return, and help us expand!

https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/moon-farm

08/28/2024

Thank you to everyone for your kind words of support yesterday. It means a lot. Thank you also to all my friends and neighbors who lent me tools and time. And thanks again to the Palmyra Fire Department whose work prevented a much worse catastrophe.

I'm going to share my thoughts and deductions after digging through the rubble all day yesterday. I haven't seen the fire report yet, so much of this is speculation on my part.

It appears the fire likely started at the electrical sub panel in the greenhouse. It appears that the fire was burning for quite some time. It appears it was stopped only moments before I would've lost everything. In the greenhouse were tools, cleaned skulls, and spare parts for various lawn tools now gone with no trace. A fire got enough to obliterate bone, melt aluminum; a fire that burned long enough to fully consume those things, to turn a stack of firewood into ash like your campfire left overnight has nothing left.

This fire- less than 6 feet from my shed and 8 feet from my walk in cooler. The fact that I was even able to repair the shed is nothing less than a miracle. That it didn't make it farther into the greenhouse and compromise the fish tank is nothing short of a miracle. That, with the help of a generator, I can even keep operating in a somewhat normal manner is an absolute miracle. That's somebody looking out for me.

Everything growing in the greenhouse is now condemned, so it'll take a bit to get back up to speed. Thankfully this happened after I had harvested for my CSA, and put so much into the cold storage. It'll take a bit to get back to where I was, but lettuce and herbs grow fast. We'll have it full and harvesting again in no time.

Thank you God, thank you neighbors, and may we have the strength to plant more seeds than ever before.

08/27/2024

I'm going to try and get out ahead of this one, we all know the rumors spread halfway around the world before the truth puts its pants on.

At about 2:30 am, my greenhouse caught fire right by the front door. No cause has been given to me yet. It burned the plastic siding on the greenhouse and plastic film, spreading to burn the pallet tables inside the greenhouse. It spread to my storage shed next to the greenhouse, burnt a panel off the side and spread across the inside of the roof.

The damage is bad, but could've been much worse. Thank you to the Palmyra Fire team, the Portage County Sheriff, and the Ravenna Fire team who extinguished the fire. All animals are accounted for and safe (even the fish inside the greenhouse).

We will recover- there's no other option.

08/21/2024

Have some awesome options for this week's Choose-Your-Own CSA delivery! If you want to hop on the route delivering Tuesday, 8/27, head to EatMF.com to get signed up!

Address

Akron, OH
44301

Website

https://shop.moonfarm.us/

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We're raising funds to expand the farm! You can invest in Moon Farm, earn a return, and help us expand! https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/moon-farm