Mary and Doug Campbell of Campbell Crossing Farm are proof that the CultivateGrowth Grant can transform a farm’s future. With support from GreenStone, they invested in education and resources that will help them expand their community supported agriculture (CSA) program and improve efficiency for years to come.
Campbell Crossing Farm was founded in the summer of 2022. In 2022, Mary quit her corporate job to become a full-time farmer and stay at home mom. The farm is a fruit and vegetable farm that focuses on soil health regenerative agriculture practices and supporting local food access through non-profit partnerships and supplying high quality fresh food to local establishments.
While Mary and Doug’s passion for farming started in 2022, it was the CultivateGrowth Grant that gave them the tools and education to take their farm to the next level. In 2025, they launched their farm share program, also known as CSA, supplying 20 local families with fresh fruit and vegetables all summer.
Mary and Doug were introduced to the CultivateGrowth Grant as new farmers building their farm. More recently they utilized the grant funds to help pay for an all-day conference in Traverse City with Jean Martin Fortier, a leader in organic market gardening, along with other educational resources. With support from the grant, the Campbells immersed themselves in this hands-on learning opportunity.
“We were able to tour a working vegetable farm and see their operation and listen to JM Fortier share great advice on how to become a better farmer,” Mary said. “He supplied us with some resources which then led us to the final use of the grant for me, The Market Gardener masterclass that JM Fortier created. The final funds from my husband’s grant were used for some Cornell Small Farms study courses and the farm financial book, ‘The Farmer’s Office’ to help us grow the business.”
To build both production and business capacity, they turned to the Cornell Small Farms program, which offers courses spanning agricultural business, start-up essentials, and production practices. They chose accounting with QuickBooks, vegetable production for integrated disease management, and high tunnel production to extend their season.
The Market Gardening masterclass became a comprehensive guide for what comes next. “It goes in depth on how to extend our season, build out our own tools for better efficiencies, or even how to build your own buildings on the farm, such as a wash and pack station. It truly covers every aspect on how to successfully operate your market garden,” said Mary.
Looking ahead, the couple is energized by what they learned. “The seminar filled us with hope that with some time management and simple practice changes we will become more efficient on our farm,” Mary reflected. “It all comes down to time, so we decided to invest our time in learning this year and implementing those learnings. Without the help of GreenStone, this wouldn’t be possible.”
Mary shared, “We know knowledge is power and we are so thankful we were able to get funds from Greenstone’s CultivateGrowth program to participate in the seminar, masterclass, and take other courses online. We will have access to these resources for years to come.”
Mary and Doug’s story show what is possible with the CultivateGrowth Grant. Ready to grow your farm? Click here to learn more about your possibilities with GreenStone.
