Our Mission
Our philosophy at Floppy Hat Farms is simple- we care about the health of people and the environment. Our passion is to continually experiment with natural soil-based organic farming and cutting-edge Aquaponic methods that will enrich the nutrient content and flavor of our food. We are driven to promote farm diversity and sustainability and to share this knowledge through our commitmen
t to agriculture education via AquaponicFood4Thought.com. Our Practice
We grow our products using sustainable farming practices that build healthy ecosystems by using materials and methods that minimize the negative impact on the environment and conserve water resources. We apply principles that maintain biodiversity, ecological balance, natural plant fertilization and pest management, and soil and water integrity to foster healthy food production. Our produce is free of chemicals, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Instead we choose to use organic safety guidelines to recycle natural farm waste to meet our production needs. We believe that by using eco-friendly natural production methods we will sustain the farms' productivity for generations to come. Who are We
Floppy Hat Farms is a start-up small production farm that is owned by Rachel Tinker-Kulberg, PhD, a science educator and environmental advocate that turned to farming in order to provide nutritious and affordable food for the local community. Because nutrition and access of food is also vulnerable to environmental degradation, she supports sustainable agriculture methods like Aquaponics to promote environmentally sound and effective food production- Aquaponics is a farming practice that integrates the growth of fish and shrimp with vegetable production. Floppy Hat Farms is currently working in collaboration with Doug Jones, a lifetime soil farmer that has been committed to organic agriculture and teaching since 1973. Doug has owned, managed, and operated several farms around the country, taught agriculture classes at the university level, and mentored over 150 Ag students to help build a future for local sustainable farming. Doug contributes extensive experience to our soil-based farmed products and is the mastermind behind choosing the best-tasting and highest-performing vegetable varieties based on results from hundreds of his own field trials. Our Location
Floppy Hat Farms has two principle locations: Traditional-soil based farmed products are grown at The Breeze Incubator Farm in Hurdle Mills, Nc and Aquaponic farmed specialty products are grown at Healing with CAARe in Durham, Nc. Please visit our website or even our farm to learn more about us- We offer farm tours, school field trips, and educational workshops throughout the year at both locations! What You Can Do to Protect Your Health and Environment
Although it is not obvious to consumers, Organic certification alone does not guarantee healthy and environmentally-friendly produced food. Organic food can travel thousands of miles before it reaches the consumer. These food miles not only contribute to harmful emissions of greenhouse gases, but have serious consequences for your health since the nutrient content of your food breaks down over time. By choosing to support local producers like Floppy Hat Farms, you can stimulate your local economy, protect your environment, and benefit from eating fresher, healthier, tastier produce! The easiest way to ensure that you are purchasing healthy food that is being sustainably produced is to know your farmer. Come visit our farm by attending a public tour, workshop, or field trips sponsored by Healing with CAARE in Durham, Nc. Check our facebook or websites for more information about date availabilities! (Website development and overhaul currently in progress- please be patient with us!)
