SANDNER Produce is a “traditional” garden, where the sky is the timeclock and the work is done in all types of weather. Everything harvested on Jamie Huskey’s Anabel, Missouri farm, is field grown and chemical free, with the intentions of providing customers with the most flavorful experience.
It started in 1995 as an FFA project, when Jamie’s sister was in high school. Jamie continued the project that involved the whole family when she started high school.
“I’m excited to be continuing the tradition with my little family of six now,” said Jamie about her husband, Brandon, and four young children.
Being a farmer is in Jamie’s blood. “I enjoy working in the sun and dirt. My dad and his dad were farmers. I was driving the tractors by myself at the age of 7. We grew crops like milo, corn, and soybeans, raised Red Wattle hogs, and of course lots of fruits and veggies. I learned so many life skills and continue to learn. I now can pass that on to my kids. They are learning to 'grow their own groceries' and be good stewards of the land. I like that I’m not only providing food for my family, but for other families also. We have four young children and they enjoy helping mama on the farm. They are our little farmers-in-training. The kids are working and playing alongside me. They help plant, water, pull weeds, and pick. I’m pretty sure harvesting is their favorite, though.”
Even though Brandon works full time, he helps Jamie on the farm. When something breaks down, “He is my ‘Fix-it Man,’” she chuckled.
Since 2007, SANDNER Produce has provided market customers with a variety of fruits and vegetables, like fresh basil, big tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, okra, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, green beans, and eggplant.
Jamie is thrilled to share her naturally grown produce with market customers. “I do this for a living, so having a large amount of people coming to the market, looking for fresh produce, is great! There is a huge variety of things that CFM vendors have to offer, so it’s a great place for the young and old to shop.”
When customers shop at the market, Jamie explained, “There is no middleman. You are getting it directly from the farmer/producer. It’s neat that customers can call their farmer by name, ask them questions. By buying local, you’re helping each other out. The buyer knows where their food actually came from, and the farmer is able to keep supporting his or her own family, while still doing what they love.”
