Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Anderson Koch.
Hi Brenda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a child, I was blessed to grow up in rural Ohio among the cornfields, cows and small-town atmosphere. Some of the happiest memories were of my family growing and preserving our own food. We were “organic” before “organic” became popular, a common term or lifestyle choice. There was nothing more satisfying than watching your hard work come to fruition. Picking your own fresh food that had all the vitamins and minerals supplied by the good Lord was natural for us.
After I graduated high school, I moved to Texas during the 80’s oil boom. Jobs were everywhere and you could pick and choose what tickled your fancy. I worked in several different corporate sectors before getting married and having a son. While I appreciated all the perks of city life, I soon realized that my son would not have the same “fullness” that I found growing up in a rural setting. As soon as he could fly, i.e., five years old, I began sending him to Ohio, where he enjoyed farming, nature and the spoiling of his grandparents.
One summer, around age eight, he returned with the farming bug. “Please, mom! Can we buy a farm?” Well, by that time, I found myself a single mom. Funds were tight but I managed to find a piece of bare land 12 miles west of Katy in a little-known town of Pattison, population 283. There was nothing on the land. It was raw. No utilities, no infrastructure, nothing but weeds and coyotes but something spoke to me and we bought it – 21 beautiful green acres.
There were many obstacles and things to learn to say the least. Cropping in Texas is completely different from growing in Ohio. It wasn’t just the plant varieties, but temperatures, humidity, soil structures, etc. So I befriended many different farmers in the region. Funny, they all have a different way to farm, what works for them. After a couple of years, I decided the only way I was going to get the right information was to go back to school and get an advanced degree in Agriculture. So I did. BS-Animal Science, MS-Agronomy. All along, my son and I, with family and friends, built a home, drilled a well, put in septic, built our road, etc. No vacations, just working on a dream every weekend and every chance we could get.
At 18, my son decided to spread his wings and joined the Air Force. You know, “the grass is always greener,” well that was him. He had worked hard over the years and wanted to see more than his own backyard. So poof, he was gone. Luckily, I remarried a wonderful man who shared, or at least indulged my vision. After teaching Aquaponic and Hydroponic production at Houston Community College for five years, we started VegOut! Farms. We produce organic tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, and pick your own strawberries.
After six years in the service, my son, Josh, finally came home. He now says he doesn’t know why he left. I smiled and just told him, “You were just young and spreading your wings. Sometimes you have to lose what you have to really appreciate it”, He now does the deliveries to HEB, restaurants, schools, etc.
I look back at the years, 21 from raw land to where we are today. I can honestly say building a farm and business from scratch was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Loosing loved ones Learning new skills. Doing without. Sacrificing then to get to where we are now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an educator, I transformed the Horticulture program at HCC from a lackluster program to busting at the seams. I increased student enrollment, re-instigated the Horticulture Club, took a group of students overseas to Vietnam to study agriculture trends, developed a curriculum for Aquaponics and Hydroponics Production and was nominated for the West Houston Chamber of Commerce Annual Christa McAuliffe Teacher of the Year Award for Post Secondary Education – and WON. What an honor and privilege.
As a traditional soil grower and a controlled environmental grower, we are most known for our vine-ripened tomatoes. In my first year of production, I was fortunate to obtain HEB as my buyer. Scott McClellan came to the farm and we filmed a commercial which aired on local television. That was a really exciting day, not to mention a lot of work, 15 hours to be exact.
What sets you apart from others?
I think attitude and work ethic. Of course, being hard-headed, not taking no for an answer, and always asking “Why” could have something to do with it. If you ask my mom, she would say that I was always an inquisitive little girl. I think that is a trend that has stuck.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
When I first showed my parents the land I purchased, my mom called it “a weed patch”. My uncle, however, said, “It’s a diamond in the rough”. That’s the difference between glass half full thinking and glass half empty. Surround yourself with people that think the glass is half full – those that are optimistic.
Never, ever give up on your dreams. You can have anything you want but you must work hard to achieve it. Put pride to the side and ask for help when needed. Don’t wait on others to give things to you or make you successful, they won’t. Love what you do and be grateful every day you have on this Earth.
Pricing:
- $10.00 for Tours
- $5.00/lb. Pick your own strawberries
Contact Info:
- Email: info@vegoutfarms.com
- Website: www.vegoutfarms.com
- Instagram: @farmsvegout
- Facebook: VegOut! Farms
