Labatt Acres Farm
Ellie and Cody of Labatt Acres Farm
Nestled into a family property in Floresville Texas, you will find the 1/4-acre garden of Ellie and Cody of Labatt Acres Farm. Ever growing, the sprawling and beautiful rows carry seasonal crops year-round, as well as honeybees. If you have yet to hear of Labatt or try their produce, you’re definitely missing out.
Labatt was named for the old name of the road on which their farm is located, Labatt Road, and I absolutely love that. This story is filled with history, and this just adds to it. Starting in 2020, Ellie was part time gardening on her family’s property while still living in San Antonio with her husband. In October of 2020 Ellie was able to purchase what is now her garden from her family. This land comes with deep rooted (see what I did there?) history of farming already! Though used in the most recent years for a grazing pasture for cattle, the land was once farmed by Ellie’s family. The garden sits on the top of a sandy loam hill where her family farmed peanuts! She loves that this land is once again used to grow food and provide for others.
Gardening quickly became her favorite hobby and an escape for all the right reasons, even though this is not what she planned to be doing with her life. As a classically trained pianist, Ellie holds not one but TWO music degrees. She is seriously impressive. While working with her degree and living in SA, she found a small passion for gardening in beds there, which soon turned into bigger beds at the family property in Floresville, and then into the full-blown operation she has today.
In March of 2022 Ellie had her first market, which was a hit, and by May of 2022 Ellie had gone full time with her garden operation and Labatt Acres was her official job! The support our community was able to give her to take this step amazes me, by the way. By October of 2022 she was moving into the large garden she now has and was expanding her rows rapidly.
Labatt Acres Farm practices a form of agriculture known as “Market Gardening.” This is when local produce is farmed at a small-scale, and then freshly sold to the public. Labatt grows on a scale larger than a typical home garden, but small enough for that gardening concepts to still apply. Everything is done by hand and without a tractor. I worked a morning harvest during this interview, and I now know why she’s in such great shape! There is no machinery used in her gardening methods. Labatt prides itself on being chemical-free and using regenerative growing practices that are good for the earth. For example, they use pest netting rather than insecticides to help with pests, and they use tarps rather than herbicides to smother and kill weeds.
Not only does Labatt sell at markets on weekends, but they also offer weekly home produce deliveries every Tuesday (Wilson County only.) Through the “Online Farmstand” on Labatt’s website, customers can order a variety of veggies each week, along with other items like eggs and pickles. Labatt also offers a weekly “Farmer’s Special” which is a mixed bag of 6-7 different veggies for $20. I think this is such a neat option for our community to get FRESH produce in their homes, especially if there isn’t a market coming up in our area. Labatt prides themselves on quality, fresh, nutrient rich crops, which is something everyone should be looking for when purchasing their foods.
One of the many goals for Labatt is to grow their online farmstand and grow more varieties of goods. Some crops take most of a year to mature (like onions, garlic, and celery) and take up valuable row space while they are growing. By continuing to expand their market garden, Labatt will be able to grow these longer-term crops while continuing to grow their seasonal crops; so keep your eyes peeled for MORE fresh, sustainable produce! Besides increasing varieties, online farmstand offerings, and harvest numbers, the community involvement is something Ellie wants to see more of. She would love to be able to hold gardening workshops, school field trips, volunteer days, and public openings. Moving back home, finding a passion, and sharing it with community is what has led Labatt to continue to grow and grow. And hopefully, with our community’s continued love, support, and sharing of Labatt, they will be able to grow, fulfill Ellie and Cody’s dreams, and push Labatt into newer and greater possibilities.
You can keep up with them in social media to see what markets they’re heading to and what’s available in their Online Farmstand. Check out their Facebook or their Instagram and give them a follow. You can also see their website and check out their Online Farmstand there! Be sure to follow, share with friends and family, and leave a review if you’ve experienced the fresh and delicious harvests of Labatt. Without community support, these local dreamers wouldn’t be able to follow their passions and bless us with their crafts.
A huge thank you to Ellie for letting me help her harvest and for answering my millions of questions. She makes it look so easy!
As always, thank you for helping me #SupportLocal!
XX, H
