Meet the Farmer: Fat Hawk Farm

We have been working with Fat Hawk Farm out of Guys Mills since May of 2019, and we’re excited to share a little more about this local farm!

Fat Hawk Farm started in 2016 after Owner Garrett Gleeson moved back to the farm where he grew up. He had spent the few years before that in grad school studying Microbiology and worked on a small farm in upstate New York during the summer before moving back.

“My motivations have always been rooted in public health,” Garrett said. “I started off in college wanting to research medical microbiology, but was influenced by my lab’s research to shift towards plant microbiology.”

At the University of New Hampshire, Garrett was drawn to a lab researching fungal pathogens in agriculture and it was during this time that he became increasingly aware of how public health, local economies, and the environment are intertwined with our foodshed. Inspired by this revelation, he decided to start a farm of his own. Staying true to his mission means growing food that is nutritious, maintains healthy soil, and is distributed locally.

The main focus at Fat Hawk Farm is on vegetables, especially greens and root crops. One of Garrett’s largest crops each year is garlic and this year he grew 15 varieties, totaling 9,800 heads.

This year, he is trying his hand at more storage crops than usual, such as winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Garrett also grows a few fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, and apples, and is always adding new fruit trees such as pawpaws, peaches, and pears.

Garrett’s beds are predominantly no till. He does not use any herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers, and instead amends the soil with compost and organic fertilizers. In total, he farms about two acres and has one caterpillar tunnel (14’x100′) at the moment.

When asked what he loves most about farming, Garrett said: “The community. Customers seem more like friends and family. Many of them have been out to the farm, and some have even helped in the garden (most notably with harvesting and planting garlic).”

Fellow farmers have also been a wonderful resource for Garrettt. To satisfy his crop rotation, he grows his garlic at other farms. The neighboring farmers happily lend large plots and even help with bed prep and harvesting. “I often say Fat Hawk Farm is a one-man operation, but I couldn’t do it without those around me,” Garrett said. 

Looking to the future, Garrett is focused on making the farm more productive on the same acreage (two acres is enough for one person). “The beauty of farming is that there is practically no limit to increasing efficiency and soil quality,” he said.

Another more recent addition to Garrett’s mission is to provide resources (land, equipment, labor, expertise) to aspiring farmers. He currently has one aspiring farmer trying their hands at a few beds.

“Every farm is a manifestation of the farmer’s vision. My primary focus is to improve soil quality and to harvest vegetables as a byproduct of that process; resulting in gardens that harbor an abundant and diverse ecosystem,” Garrett said. “My gardens also reflect my personality with beds going different directions, rows that swerve at random and a total lack of maps.”

Fat Hawk Farm produce can be found at Core Goods, as well as the Edinboro Market and the Meadville Market House. Typically Garrett would also be selling at the Little Italy Farmers Market in Erie and the Meadville Farmers Market, but that is up in the air due to the pandemic.

You can follow Fat Hawk Farm on Facebook at: facebook.com/FatHawkFarm