By: Stephen McCollum

Entrepreneurship is hard enough, even when your venture is in the heart of a bustling city and has access to technology and finance. Plant that enterprise on a quiet, 37-acre plot of land in one of the most rural counties in the state and you have a challenge, no matter how inspired nor how vital it may be.

Beth Rhodes founded the Good Seed Initiative after she and her husband, Nick, moved back to Blackford County about 15 years ago. The initial idea, to grow quality, organic produce and distribute it through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, has had varying degrees of success and still exists. It has expanded over time to include the provision of chickens, free-range eggs, and grass-fed beef through area vendors. 

“The land had been in a setback for 10 years, offering us the organic option,” says Rhodes. “We were accustomed to eating organic foods and wanted to offer more of that option here. The CSA was a logical part of that.”

The Good Seen Initiative is a 501(c)3 with a board of directors. It has provided what Rhodes calls “entrepreneurship-on-the-land” opportunities to a small cast of interns from area schools and colleges, such as Taylor University, Ball State University, the Ivy Tech culinary program, and one enthusiastic young woman from Jamaica whom Rhodes met on a mission trip and arranged for her to spend a summer in Blackford County. 

Some interns have conducted classes to teach best methods to cook fresh produce. Others have offered day camps for youth through the YMCA. Plans are under way with the Purdue Extension Service to launch a summer foods program for area youth in 2020.

While Good Seed has had some degree of success, it is still searching for the right formula that will blend people with access to land seeking consumers of the food that is produced. This is not a far-fetched vision. Recent national news from as far away as Nebraska reports that more young people are voluntarily returning to the farms that raised them. (see: https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/upfront-blog/2019/0728/The-new-frontier-of-rural-America)

Over the years, Good Seed has hosted a variety of events and programs—from feast days on the farm to collaborative classes and fundraisers with the Blackford High School agriculture class. 

It could be that the Rhodeses’ entrepreneurial spirit, first with Good Seed and more recently through the opening of the Double R Ranch B&B, will continue to marinate new ideas around the centerpiece of food and hospitality. Don’t miss out. Follow them on Facebook. (The Good Seed Initiative, Inc./@thegoodseedinitiative; Double R Ranch/@NBDoubleRRanch)