Storey Family Farm began with a question: What would it look like to design a farm around the needs of a community? For Stephen Storey, that question has guided every step of his farming journey, from an early curiosity sparked during college to a bold decision to leave nonprofit work and begin growing food on a small urban plot in South Bend, Indiana.
Stephen didn’t come from a farming background, but he was drawn to the logic, beauty, and coherence of regenerative agriculture. While working at a family-run orchard and later a CSA vegetable farm, he witnessed the deep relationships that can form between people and place when food is grown with intention and transparency. Those years seeded the vision for a farm model rooted not in scale, but in service — a place where neighbors could access nutrient-dense food, understand how it was grown, and feel a personal connection to the land behind it.
In 2021, Storey Family Farm launched on a tiny but mighty two-acre footprint. That initial farmstead allowed Stephen and his wife to test systems, build direct relationships with customers, and develop a membership model that prioritized accessibility and care. What began as an experiment quickly grew into a trusted local food source, with strong demand from residents and retailers alike for their nutrient-dense produce and community-focused approach.
Today, Storey Family Farm is transitioning operations to a 65-acre property in nearby Mishawaka, with a growing team and a renewed sense of purpose. While their vegetable production remains the economic heart of the business, it’s the guiding values that continue to shape their path: mimic natural systems, collaborate with nature and neighbors, and treat every part of the farm - from the soil to the staff - with deep respect. Whether through handwritten notes in CSA boxes, recipe sharing, or open farm days, the Storeys believe in small gestures that build lasting trust. This next chapter is about growing with intention, not just in acres but in impact.
Ecological, Social, and Economic Stewardship Practices
Storey Family Farm is committed to soil health, and a vision of agriculture that prioritizes both ecological and human wellbeing. They uphold this commitment through the following practices:
Ecological Stewardship:
- Applies core soil health principles: minimal disturbance, continuous field cover, and year-round living roots for active carbon cycling.
- Maximizes biodiversity through multi-crop cultivation, microbial inoculants, and rotational grazing to enhance biological function and soil fertility.
- Employs a systems-based approach to pest management: prioritizes soil health and plant nutrition, uses netting and physical controls, and reserves targeted organic inputs as a last resort.
Social Stewardship:
- Hosts on-farm educational visits for local schools and delivers ag-literacy programs at the community college and correctional facility.
- Plans to offer open public access to walking trails at the new site, fostering transparency and a shared sense of place.
- Contributes to community wellbeing through regular food donations and by donating CSA memberships to local school fundraisers.
Economic Stewardship:
- Operates a transparent, direct-to-consumer model via a farm membership program and weekly home delivery.
- Curates a diverse product range, sourcing from aligned local producers to supplement in-house offerings.
- Built as a family-run business with a vision for employee ownership as the team grows, ensuring continuity and shared investment in long-term success.
