Who Are We?
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Dandelion Ridge Farm, incorporated in 2018, is owned and operated by Abbie Rogers and her partner Kevin Archer, with moral support from their rescued animal friends.
Abbie and Kevin have been digging in the dirt and growing vegetable gardens to feed themselves over the past six years and in three states. They have now happily settled on their five-acre oasis in Versailles, Kentucky and are excited to get started feeding you, too! 
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Abbie has long been passionate about making and sharing good food, as well as striving to live as sustainably, kindly, and honestly as possible, but it wasn’t until her first vegetable garden in 2013 that she discovered the thrill of the magic of a seed becoming a sprout becoming a thriving plant. And that she finds nothing as satisfying as harvesting and sharing what she has grown!
Abbie’s background is in animal rescue, with a focus on farm animals, serving as a Caregiver at multiple nationally and internationally recognized farm animal sanctuaries over the past decade. She loves caring for her animal companions, and for her plant babies, too! Abbie volunteers with Glean KY and is a member of their Programming Committee. During the farm's slow(er) season, she teaches vegetable-focused cooking classes at the Franklin County Women & Family Shelter. |
Kevin is a Certified Chef who has worked at landmark vegetarian restaurants across the country in positions from Dishwasher to Executive Chef and General Manager. A skilled and engaging teacher, Kevin has taught plant-based cooking at venues ranging from animal sanctuaries to cooking schools to Buddhist monasteries. He also presents on food justice, sustainability, and education at humane education conferences, farming conferences, and food festivals.
Kevin comes from a long tradition of subsistence farmers, and farmed with his family on weekends when he was growing up. He has been growing his own lush vegetable gardens throughout his adult life. |
Our Heritage
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Kevin and Abbie each have farming in their blood going back generations. Kevin’s family has a vibrant history of self-sufficiency, and has been growing food to sustain themselves and their extended communities for many decades. Kevin has vivid memories of childhood weekends spent harvesting peas and husking corn on his parents’ acre plot outside of Dallas, TX.
Abbie is a little more removed from her farming roots, having grown up with the idea that plants are daunting to grow. But, starting in college with a spider plant she named Charlotte, she has built up her confidence! Abbie’s great-great-grandfather, Eugene Stapler, was a dairy farmer so renowned for his ingenuity in bringing electricity and other innovations to his Yardley, PA farm that he was named Bucks County Farmer of the Year in 1927. Eugene—and his son Robert—also grew a sizeable vegetable plot and feed crops, and had a special interest in beautifying their farm with flowers and decorative bushes. Both of our family histories inspire us to grow food and flavor in the best ways we know how, and to grow ourselves along the way. |
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Why Dandelions?
Dandelions are full of imagery and practicality that make them a fitting emblem of our farm and our vision for the world. They are humble, viewed as a nuisance weed by many, but bring a persistent splash of sunshine to wild spaces and lawns alike.
Dandelion greens, roots, and flowers are nutritious and are valued for their medicinal properties. And they are a favorite food of most of us at Dandelion Ridge Farm, from humans to rabbits and goats. Winnie Pig will scavenge her paddock, diligently biting off and savoring each and every dandelion blossom!
While dandelions aren’t native to North America, they do benefit the ecosystem in ways ranging from providing a food source to pollinators and wildlife to breaking up and securing soils with their long tap roots.
Dandelions also symbolize values that we seek to emulate: determination and resilience, wish fulfillment, and the grassroots spread of positive change.
Dandelion greens, roots, and flowers are nutritious and are valued for their medicinal properties. And they are a favorite food of most of us at Dandelion Ridge Farm, from humans to rabbits and goats. Winnie Pig will scavenge her paddock, diligently biting off and savoring each and every dandelion blossom!
While dandelions aren’t native to North America, they do benefit the ecosystem in ways ranging from providing a food source to pollinators and wildlife to breaking up and securing soils with their long tap roots.
Dandelions also symbolize values that we seek to emulate: determination and resilience, wish fulfillment, and the grassroots spread of positive change.
Our Values and Vision
- Sustainability, nutrition, flavor, education, and food access are more than trendy buzz words; they are the driving principles behind what we do at Dandelion Ridge Farm.
- We know that our primary job as farmers is to grow soil, and to create an environment in which plants can thrive. Inspired by sustainable farming legends Eliot Coleman, John Jeavons, Leah Penniman, Will Bonsall, Pam Dawling, Karen Washington, Don Bustos and others, we strive to grow in a way that benefits the ecosystems within and beyond the garden itself. We never use chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and are now proudly Certified Organic by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
- By feeding the soil, we nourish ourselves and our customers. Local vegetables grown in balanced, nutrient-rich soil and then carefully prepared are found to be more nutritious than store-bought monocultured vegetables that have been shipped halfway around the world.
- Many of us grew up eating overcooked or boiled—ugh!--vegetables, and have not yet discovered the fresh, delicious flavors of properly prepared vegetables and fresh herbs. Dandelion Ridge Farm hopes to change that with our carefully grown produce and tried-and-true recipes. Our ambitious goal: to inspire a love of vegetables across the state of Kentucky!
- We learn so much from each plant and garden we tend, and love sharing knowledge—and food!—with others. Our lives changed dramatically for the better when we began truly engaging with our food, and we do our best to empower our customers to do the same, through cooking demos, recipes, tips, and good old conversation.
- We believe that everyone should have access to healthy and delicious produce, regardless of finances or time. In 2019, we were able to donate over 600 pounds of produce to Glean KY and directly to local soup kitchens and shelters to help feed those in need. For folks who lack the time to cook a nourishing meal from scratch, we offer canned sauces, relishes, jellies, and pickles--plus dried herbs and sun-dried tomatoes--to give them a head start.
- Through our canning jar return program, we donate to a range of non-profits from the Xerces Society to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to the Sunrise Movement. Each of our canned products supports a different relevant organization--check the back of your jar lid label to see which cause will benefit when you return the jar to us!
- Dandelion Ridge Farm is a member of the Kentucky Proud program, the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK), Seed Savers Exchange, Kentucky Women in Agriculture, and the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association.
Media, Events, and Other Sightings
Media Mentions
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Dandelion Ridge Farm was featured in the December 2019 issue of Frank Magazine in an article on making your own holiday gifts, including homemade canned goods. What an honor!
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Past Events
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Upcoming Events
None currently scheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but stay tuned for future events once things settle down!
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Also Find Us Here:
Find Dandelion Ridge Farm listed along with many other local Kentucky farms in the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK)'s Find-A-Farm Directory.
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You can also find us on the new Woodford FoodNet website, a great directory of farms and other local food resources in Woodford County, KY.
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We're also listed in Local Harvest's national database of sustainable family farms.
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