Our journey of discovering food has led us to new places and inspiring people beyond our wildest dreams. From farms in Indiana to cooking schools in Cambodia, we’ve been blessed to meet people dedicating their lives to good, fair, clean food.
The typical theme we see again and again: sacrifice. Like Fields of Agape, a farm couple sacrificing their financial security to provide organic beans and grains to Indiana. Or Center for Global Impact, a collection of Hoosiers and others around the globe devoting their lives to provide a future for young women in Cambodia.
Our friends at Full Hand Farm are no exception. We met Genesis and Eli, the couple behind Full Hand Farm, at the Indy Winter Farmer’s Market. Young and energetic, they’ve sacrificed a comfortable life to pursue their dream – growing organic, natural produce.
Currently, Genesis and Eli farm 1 acre of Eli’s father’s land on a plot 20 miles outside of Indianapolis, and sell the produce at the local farmer’s markets and restaurants. We visited a few weeks ago to check out their operation, and couldn’t be more impressed!
The large hoop houses, beautiful tomatoes (despite this year’s extremely hot summer), and gleaming purple eggplants all shone of one thing: devotion. This couple is intensely devoted to the land, to the crops, and to each other.
We couldn’t imagine the amount of work to get to this point – to be able to provide delicious, fresh produce to the local markets and restaurants after just one year! Nights of sleeping in a tent next to the crops, days of backbreaking work, and weeks of tending, watering, planning, planting – all to make sure we have quality produce on our table.
Surveying the rows of neatly-planted rows, we pondered whether most people understand how much sweat, love and tears went into that pile of kale or cucumbers they buy at the market? We certainly didn’t even just a few years ago.
We’re so grateful to know Genesis and Eli – and thankful for their generous hearts and passion for bringing good food to us here in Indianapolis.
Full Hand Farm produce is available at Zionsville Farmer’s Market (summer, Saturdays from 8:00-11:00 am), 38th Street and Meridian Market on Thursday evenings (summer, Thursdays 4:00-6:30 pm), and Indy Winter Farmer’s Market (winter, Saturdays 9:00 am-12:30 pm).
Recipes Where We’ve Used Full Hand Farm Produce
Simple Vegetable Paella
Tomato Basil Quinoa
Radishes with Butter and Salt
Balsamic Salad with Arugula, Pea Shoots and Parmesan
Radish and Pea Salad with Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette
Roasted Two-Potato Salad
I have known Gena and Eli for over 10 years and I couldn’t be more proud of them! Farming seemed a natural evolution on their journey, but I’m thrilled that they’ve returned to their roots to lay roots, so to speak.
So proud of these 2 and their intentional decisions which have brought them to this point!
Gena and Eli certainly renew my faith in the next generation – Great job, Gena and Eli!