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Make Your Black Friday more green this year. Discover 10 inspiring farms worth splurging on, all season long.




Supporting local farmers isn’t just a seasonal splurge or holiday one-off — it’s an investment in your health, your community, and the planet. From nourishing our bodies to creating memories with friends and family around the table, food is the gift that keeps on giving — and worth splurging on.


Make your Black Friday more green this year and discover 10 inspiring farms across the country to support this holiday season.


Shop everything from greenhouse greens to storage crops, frozen fruits and canned or fermented foods. There's plenty of farm-fresh food to go around as the weather cools down, and in warmer states, the season is just ramping up!


Whether you're buying for yourself, or gifting to friends and family, supporting local farmers is the gift that gives back.



BOUNTIFUL BITES Supporting local farmers isn’t just a seasonal splurge or holiday one-off — it’s an investment in your health, your community, and the planet.





Kind Folk Farm

San Diego, CA


Kind Folk Farm is a small urban farm with year-round offerings. Their mixed vegetables, herbs and fruit are grown by Ayzsha Smith utilizing low tillage practices and biological inputs to be as nutrient dense as possible.


Sign up for Kind Folk Farms CSA 2025 — hurry before they're full! Waitlist only!









Seven Seasons Farm

Oxford, NC


Milk, yogurt, raw milk 

Seven Season Farms is a family farm specializing in raw milk, pet treats, and herd shares As the only farm in the triangle area with the NCDA accreditation, Seven Seasons _________---.







Farm Store front porch


Park Ridge Organics

Fond Du Lac, WI


USDA Certified;  ROP Certified


Park Ridge Organics has been growing certified organic produce for Wisconsin folks since 2003. Nestled on 15 acres along the stunning Niagara Escarpment overlooking Lake Winnebago, this family-run farm offers over 40 types of seasonal produce in their 10 week CSA program. They also offer bread, pasta, and mushroom add-ons.


Led by farmer Robyn Calvey, who took over from her parents — Dan and Linda — Park Ridge Organics combines decades of farming expertise with a passion for sustainability. Shop now to enjoy the freshest, locally grown organic produce from a trusted community favorite!









Current Farms

Marion, LA


Current Farms is a first-generation family farm owned and operated by brothers Conrad and Kaden Cable since 2020. Known for their top-notch salad mix — some say the best outside California — and vibrant, Michelin-worthy carrots, Current Farms specializes in growing lush greens and delicious vegetables rooted in healthy soil practices.


Build a custom farm box and choose from over a dozen pick up locations — Current Farms caters to you!








Cedar Crate Farm farm stand.

Cedar Crate Farms

Waldorf, MN


With over 90 varieties of produce, you always have an ample selection to choose from. Cedar Crate Farms offers flexible farm shares — from variety to pick up schedule.








Farm box spread featuring tomatoes, carrots, radishes, onions, and cucumbers

Lucky Crow

Monmouth, OR


Lucky Crow Farm specializes in growing delicious, sustainably grown vegetables for the Monmouth, Oregon community. As a fifth generation farmer, Eden is committed to growing fresh, high-quality produce while nurturing the soil and environment.









Standing O Ranch

Connell, WA


Nestled in the fertile Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington, Standing O Ranch is a multigenerational family operation dedicated to raising black and red Angus cattle. Buy quality beef by the pound for pickup or delivery.







Okra Clemson Spineless and Burgundy mix

Pinewood Springs Farm

Stockbridge, GA


Pinewood Springs Farm is a forty-three acre, Certified Naturally Grown agricultural property, located in Rockdale County, GA. They never use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicide, or GMOs, just like certified organic farmers. 








The Heirloom Farm

Pleasant Hill, MO


Stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry from this Midwest farm! The Heirloom Farm offers everything from fresh vegetables, lamb, hand poured soap, milk and cheese, and even treats for your furry friends.







A unique experience blending the bold flavors of artisanal coffee

with the rich, savory notes of handcrafted cheeses.






Crooked Porch Farm Farmers Market Spread with cauliflower heads, cabbage, sweet potatoes

Crooked Porch Farm CNG Certified

Hillsville, VA


Crooked Porch Farm is a small, family-operated farm is dedicated to growing high-quality, organic produce year-round. Using sustainable farming practices, they bring fresh, nutrient-packed vegetables to the community every week through their convenient on-farm pick-up site in Hillsville and the Blacksburg Farmer's Market.











Thank you, Farmers!

This holiday season, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the farmers who sustain, feed, and nourish our communities. Farmers enrich lives and protect the planet, and we appreciate everything they do to make local food accessible, delicious, and nutritious!


Be sure to thank your local farmer for all they do to bring food fresh from the farm to our tables. Together, we’re making a difference—one meal at a time. 


We wish you all a bountiful Thanksgiving and prosperous year!


With Gratitude,

The GrownBy Team





Memorable meals & strong communities begin with GrownBy.

GrownBy is an online marketplace that makes it possible for everyone to eat local. We put the farmers market in your pocket and connect shoppers with local farmers in your area so you can eat seasonally, shop locally, and live more sustainably. Find a local farm near you.


Grow with us at @farmgenerationscoop and @grownbyapp.


Increase end-of-year market sales & prep for the future this holiday season


There is a lot to consider when raising and selling livestock from your

farm, so it can be easy to forget a marketing and sales strategy. While I know some farmers who have developed their sales skills (and even a persona!) over the years, and eventually grew to love it, cultivating sales and marketing know-how doesn’t come naturally to everyone.


If you find yourself struggling to achieve your sales goals, I recommend finding a partner farm that can help you move more products this season — or deciding that you, too, can become a pro when you allocate your time and resources wisely!


Confidence and joy in selling your products is absolutely essential; your customers will follow your lead. I believe you can do it!


Continue reading for five tips to turn up the heat and help you move your meat and other holiday products. One thing you should never forget about farm sales is the value of holiday marketing so you can take your vacation in January!



Why target holiday sales?

Local meat and farm products may well be more pricey than what consumers are seeing in the grocery stores. As small farmers, we have higher costs for inputs and processing, and you don’t need to compete with grocery store prices.

During the holidays, consumers are often willing to spend a little extra for food that they feel good about — delicious, humanely raised, and from a producer they know.


A survey by the Progressive Grocery found that 86% of shoppers were looking for high quality products during the holiday and more than half were willing to shop from a “high-quality retailer” (that’s you!) during the holiday season.



Differentiate your product

Make sure that consumers know why your farm products are special. Always talk about how they’re raised and emphasize your sustainable practices and any third party certifications that apply to your farm.


According to a recent survey by Deloitte, more than half of young consumers prefer sustainable products — and that trend isn’t going away.


On our GrownBy farm shop, heritage breeds and heirloom products are of particular interest to shoppers; consumers are looking for unique and flavorful items that will make their holiday dinner even more special.






Provide certainty & offer pre-order options

One of the nicest — and most obvious — advantages of holiday marketing is that there is a very clear purchase deadline. While this may cause havoc on your end as you furiously manage a slew of orders, the good thing is that the hard deadline gives a real sense of urgency to consumers. Capitalize on your limited quantities to make your customers feel as though they’ll miss out on something great if they miss your order deadline (because they will!)


Given the all-at-once nature of the holidays, it is very important to put your inventory into an online ordering system. I know a few farmers who still stay up all night comparing spreadsheets and inventory on paper and Excel, but this is not where you want to be spending your limited time.


Offering pre-orders and advertising ordering ahead benefits everyone; you have peace of mind and your consumers know exactly what they owe, how to pay, and when they’ll receive their items.



Offering pre-orders on your
farm shop ensures your customers
know exactly what they owe,
how to pay, and when they'll
receive their items.



On our farm we load up our Grownby shop with our own organic vegetables, local turkeys, pies, and fruit. Our shoppers order weeks in advance and they pick up their products just a few days before the holidays.


We have a specific inventory, representing sales targets, and we share the shop link and order deadline details to all of our customers via email and social media.


I was lucky enough to be part of the development of the GrownBy inventory systems along with other farmers, so we made sure that there are lots of options for decimal weights, buying options, promo codes, unlimited pickup times and locations, and we continue to expand these options with regular updates.


Customers can pay by check or credit card, and receipts and reminders are all automated, which means we can spend more time tending to our farm duties and creating a solid marketing plan for our email contacts and social media followers. Before we sold on our GrownBy shop, we had much more limited offerings during the holidays due to time constraints.



In preparation for the holiday (meals), we set up a special one-time share for our customers to order in advance.The wide variety ensured that our customers can prepare fresh fall produce, with plenty of storage vegetables that will last through early winter.




Bundle your items around a theme and partner with local food purveyors to increase variety and visibility.

Although you might only grow vegetables or livestock, you know that your customers are going to be buying much more for their holiday meals — premade pies for dessert, fresh bread for stuffing, condiments, etc.


The more variety you offer, the better experience you can provide.


We partnered with other farmers and local food producers and started offering local turkeys, maple syrup, apples, and a selection of fresh pies from a local baker. Our customers can do most of their holiday shopping within our farm’s online shop.


When you’re picking additional products to order, do make sure that they reflect your farm’s values — for us, that’s high quality and local.



The more variety you offer, the

better experience you can provide.





In addition to a pre-Thanksgiving special and Winter CSAs that includes a generous amount of our own organic produce, we offer add-on options for our own pasture-raised hens, bread and cheese shares, and apples from local orchards — all of which share our values and views on sustainable practices. View our CSA share add-ons for more inspiration.





Nail down timing & logistics.

Being the supplier for a holiday feast isn’t without some pressure. If you don’t get that turkey to the table, someone will be upset! Again, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of using an online shop to manage your inventory to make sure that there are no mistakes.


Another consideration is freshness. When is the ideal time to deliver your products? Some local producers freeze their turkeys to guarantee certain weights. If that’s the case, be sure to get your meats like turkeys and roasts to your customers several days in advance so they have time to defrost!


On the other hand, our local pies are best fresh. To accommodate it all, we offer separate pickup options for turkeys and pies for this reason — turkeys pickups on the weekend before the holiday and pies the day before! We appreciate the flexibility and unlimited pick-up options available on our sales platform, and your customers will, too!




Select a schedule
On GrownBy, you can offer multiple dates and times for pick-up, so your customers can order in advance.




Cook and take photos for future content.

Don’t forget to take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Please make sure you eat well this holiday season. For many of us, now is the time to recharge and put your feet up for a few moments.


As you’re cooking and preparing food with family, be sure to take photos to share with your community. It can save time for next year’s marketing campaign and even secure end of year sales when you showcase your delectable meats cooked to perfection.


We wish you the best of luck with your holiday sales! Be sure to let us know any sales strategies and meat marketing ideas you have for conquering this hectic time of year.


Baked cauliflower with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs
6 tips to improve your photography skills to showcase your food, farm & fields.



GrownBy is the seamless, all-in-one solution for local farm sales.

We are the only farmer-owned marketplace app to platform your products and give consumers the opportunity to find and buy your farm products.


Build your farm shop on the GrownBy Marketplace for free and start selling your products in less than an hour. Everyone on our support team has farming experience and we will help you build your online farm shop, build custom CSAs, and get you SNAP Online Certified for free.


Stay updated on our farmers market tips.

Stay tuned for more information, tips, and inspiration for creating, marketing, and improving your product listings on your farm store. Follow along at @farmgenerationscoop and @grownbyapp.







Whether you’re cooking your first Thanksgiving meal or you’re a seasoned host, this step-by-step timeline will make Thanksgiving meal prep as easy as pie!



The holidays are the perfect opportunity to showcase fresh, local ingredientsNo matter how simple the recipe, high-quality ingredients from your local farm elevate even the most traditional Thanksgiving dishes with no extra effort. Think: tender pasture-raised turkey, sourdough stuffing made from scratch, mashed potatoes made with local milk and butter, snappy green bean casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce.


But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's split up the shopping and food prep to avoid last minute stress — in the kitchen, at the grocery store, and on your wallet.


We’ll walk you through each stage of meal prep for your holiday dinner so that by the time Thursday rolls around, you’ll have everything ready to serve an unforgettable, locally-sourced feast for the ones you love (to feed). 

While this guide was written with Thanksgiving dinner in mind, you can refer to this timeline for future holiday feasts or dinner parties. Let's dig in!



Certified Organic Thanksgiving Bundles


PLATEFUL POINTER Farms have limited quantities, so try to order as far in advance as you can, as some options sell out quickly.




Two Weeks Before

Plan your menu & take inventory of ingredients.

You should  be finalizing your holiday menu two weeks before the big day. Gather recipes, bookmark your favorites, make a shopping list, and start procuring ingredients.


Take note of what you already have in the kitchen, and what you still need to purchase. Then, build a master shopping list for everything, grouping items by category (e.g. meat, produce, spices, dairy, pantry, kitchen utensils/tools, etc) to make shopping easier.




Pre-order your turkey (or other protein) & farm-fresh essentials.  

Pre-order your turkey from your local farm to make sure you get the best quality. It’s worth it to know where and how your bird was raised. Not only does food from your local farm taste better, it’s better for you, your community, and the environment. Talk about feeling grateful! 




Non-Traditional Centerpieces to Celebrate  Don't be afraid to start new traditions with old friends. Pasture-raised turkey is traditional, but brisket, rump roast, duck, and Cornish hens are all special main dishes to feed a crowd.





Check & inspect your kitchen tools & cooking utensils.

Now is the time to locate and update your cooking tools to make sure you're prepared for the big day! Is your food processor working or did the motor finally give out? Did you forget to replace the lid to the casserole dish you broke last year?


Aside from the standard cooking utensils like roasting pans, a vegetable peeler, and a serving platter large enough to plate your main dish, don’t forget these kitchen must-haves: a reliable meat thermometer, a glass baster, parchment paper, aluminum foil, and cooking twine.



PLATEFUL POINTER Instead of purchasing kitchen tools you don't need or use on a regular basis, ask friends and family to lend you these items.




One Week Before


Finalize your holiday menu & delegate dishes

Reduce stress and make Thanksgiving a communal effort with a potluck-style party! Delegate tasks and coordinate with any guests who are contributing dishes — you don’t want to end up with three pumpkin pies and no sides! 


PLATEFUL POINTER Make sure guests know if they can use the kitchen to prep their dishes the day of the holiday dinner to avoid any confusion.



Small-Batch Additions to Make Your Meal Unique


PLATEFUL POINTER Don't forget to double check the date and time of your farm order pick up or delivery date!  



Plot your plate situation & count the cutlery.

Aside from the edible part of your Thanksgiving table, you should take inventory of your kitchen tools and table settings. Count your plates and cutlery to make sure you have enough place settings (and chairs!) for each guest, and enough serving dishes for everything on the menu.


PLATEFUL POINTER Label dishes with tape or sticky notes so you know which bowl is best for the sweet potato casserole, and what works better for the green beans.




Prep your pantry with hardy storage vegetables, baking supplies & dry good staples.

Beat the holiday rush by purchasing hardy, seasonal produce and dry goods a week before the big day.


A lot of items on your Thanksgiving menu can be kept for weeks when properly stored, so stock up on pantry items, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, alliums, squash, and in-season fruits the week prior to the holiday meal.


Maximize shelf life by storing produce in ideal conditions — away from direct sunlight, moisture, and noticeable changes in temperature. Get more food storage tips to properly store seasonal vegetables for peak freshness.





Buy In Advance: Winter Vegetables






The Weekend Before

Swing by the farmers market for last minute ingredients.

You can never have too much garlic, butter, or eggs! Stock up on kitchen staples and fresh produce. Beat the lines at the grocery store by ordering your farm food online to pick up at the nearest distribution location. 


PLATEFUL POINTER Double check your pantry staples like flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs! Don’t forget the salt and seasonings! 




Start prepping ingredients.

Time to get your hands dirty! A little chopping, mixing, and prep work now will save some time (and a lot of stress) later. 


Defrost your protein and pie dough. Depending on the size of your bird, it may take 3 to 5 days to defrost! Move frozen pie dough to the fridge to defrost overnight. 


Prep broths, sauce, pie doughs, and gravy, all of which can be frozen until Tuesday or Wednesday evening, when you’ll need to take them out to defrost. 


Toast bread and nuts for stuffing. If you’re making stuffing with fresh bread (we recommend sourdough), take it out to dry on the counter, or toast and cube it now so it’s ready to absorb all the flavors when the time comes to assemble.




Greenbean casserole

PLATEFUL POINTER Soups, casseroles, pecan pies, and cranberry sauce actually taste better a few days old, as it allows more time for the dish to develop a richer flavor. 




Two Days Before: Tuesday


The countdown is real, but you’re in great shape. Today’s all about prepping, baking, and infusing flavor for the big day! 



Wash, chop & store your vegetables.

Wash and chop onions, carrots, celery, and any other vegetables in your dishes, so you’ll have it out of the way and can assemble on the big day. Wash and store delicate vegetables like green beans and asparagus. Store each ingredient in airtight containers in the fridge for peak freshness. 



Make your mashed potatoes & casseroles.

If you're on mashed potato duty, you can make them up to two days ahead of eating. You can also pre-assemble your casseroles and reheat them in the oven on Thanksgiving Day with a bit of cream or milk to keep them from drying out.


Store them covered in the fridge, then pop them in the oven to bake or reheat on Thanksgiving.



Prepare pies and desserts.

Baking desserts ahead of time makes dessert prep a breeze on the big day. You can bake your Thanksgiving pies (think apple or pecan) and other sweets like cookies and pumpkin bread a couple days before Thanksgiving.


It's safe for custard and pumpkin-based pies to sit overnight, and allows the flavors to develop. Store them covered at room temperature or in the fridge.


Baked Sliced Potatoes in cast iron skillet

PLATEFUL POINTER Don’t forget to remove frozen dishes from the freezer to defrost! 



One Day Before: Wednesday

Get ready to set (the table) up for success! The big day is almost here, and a few final steps today will keep things smooth and relaxed tomorrow.


Brine your bird (if needed).  

A good brine keeps your turkey juicy and flavorful. Mix up a simple brine of salt, sugar, water, and spices, then soak your bird in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. If you don’t have room in your fridge, a large cooler filled with ice (and set outside or in the basement if you live in a cold weather area) will suffice. 



Prep the stuffing.

Assemble and refrigerate uncooked stuffing in a casserole dish until Thursday morning. 



Peel, blanch, trim & store the rest of your vegetables. 

Finish prepping the veg you didn't get to yesterday. You can continue assembling your sides. Just be sure to properly store everything in the fridge!



Chill your drinks.

Chill wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, and and fill pitchers with water to save a step on Thursday.



Set the table.

Set the table with plates, napkins, and cutlery now, or stack them by your buffet table. Add any centerpieces or other decor, and don’t forget serving spoons and ladles! This is a great job to delegate to kids or other family members.



PLATEFUL POINTER Don’t forget those “extras” like ice! Don't have space in your fridge? Fill a cooler 12-24 hours in advance and keep it on a covered porch, or in the garage.




The Big Day: Thanksgiving Thursday

Thanksgiving Day is here, but you’ve already done most of the work! Today’s the day to tie up a few loose ends and you’ll be feasting in no time — no stress on the menu. 


Morning: Turkey Time

Take the bird out of the fridge to reach room temp before roasting. Preheat the oven and start roasting according to the time and temperature from your recipe. While it’s cooking, baste every so often to keep it juicy.Times and temps will vary depending on the size of your bird, and prepping process! 



Mid-Morning: Side Dishes & Stuffing

While the turkey’s roasting, you'll have a few hours to finsh prepping sides and desserts. Pop your pre-assembled casseroles, stuffing, and any other side dishes in the oven.



Early Afternoon: Make the Gravy & Reheat Dishes

Once the turkey is done, let it rest (at least 30 minutes, covered) and make your gravy from the drippings. 


While the oven is still warm, reheat any sides and pre-made dishes and desserts like cranberry sauce on the stove or in the microwave.



Final Touches Before You Feast & Give Thanks

Your table is set, food is ready, and now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Extend gratitude for the delicious food on your table, and give thanks for your family, friends, and the farmers who made your meal possible, and dig in! 



Thanksgiving Dinner Table is set with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and stuffing


Afterwards

Sustainably store leftovers.

Tell your guests to bring their own containers to bring leftovers home! If you want to store leftovers more sustainably, invest in zip-top silicon bags to replace ziplock plastic bags. Steel bento boxes and borosilicate glass containers (Pyrex) can be stacked to save space and used year after year, and beeswax wraps are a more sustainable and reusable alternative to saran wrap.



Repurpose leftovers to make stock, stews & sandwiches.

Thanksgiving leftovers can be repurposed into stews, sandwiches, or simply frozen for future use. Make a delicious and nutritious stock with the leftover bones and other odds and ends. Toss the carcass into a pot and let it simmer for a few hours. Throw in the scraps of carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and herbs for more flavor and reduce waste.


Compost.

You can compost any biodegradable food items, and even unbleached paper scraps to reduce waste. Compost vegetable skins and scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, bread, and any leftovers that went bad. Do not put meat, bones, or oily or acidic foods into the compost bin, which can slow down or inhibit the decomposition process.



Memorable meals & strong communities begin with GrownBy.

GrownBy is an online marketplace that makes it possible for everyone to eat local. We put the farmers market in your pocket and connect shoppers with local farmers in your area so you can eat seasonally, shop locally, and live more sustainably. Find a local farm near you.


Grow with us at @farmgenerationscoop and @grownbyapp.

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