Ruby Grow
Growing Farmers and Quality, Organic, Local Produce
Ruby Grow, named after Ruby Burns, a founding board member of High Rocks Educational Corporation, is a business that empowers youth through agriculture. This educational market garden teaches young people to grow, harvest, and sell food, developing personal, professional, and entrepreneurial skills while supporting the community. Using the High Rocks approach, Ruby Grow fosters food security, business planning, and community resilience, creating a network of strong, skilled individuals.
We value working to expand our local food system in a rural food desert and supporting a living wage for Appalachian Farmers based on labor and the actual cost of production. We believe food is medicine that nourishes the body, mind, and spirit and we are passionate about learning, leadership, health, wellness, and community engagement.
Our Goals:
- Make produce more available to everyone.
- Teach people about their food, where it comes from, and what goes into creating it.
- Create a fair price list for produce in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
SALES
*on site sales by appointment
We follow the Pocahontas County Farmers Market Schedule and hold pop-up markets at the Hillsboro Dollar General, the Pocahontas County Food Access Pathways, and local Senior Centers. We hold winter markets as well! Our schedules will be posted regularly on Facebook.
Check out our video feature in the West Virginia Department of Agriculture's Digital Market Bulletin.
Why Choose Us? We...
- Are completely organic!
- Are vigilant about quality control.
- Teach the community members how to farm.
- Support local growers.
- Carry on and teach Appalachian culture in various activities and workshops.
- Provide healthy, local produce in a food desert.
- Work with other local farmers to build and improve the food system.
- Teach what a living wage means for farmers and spread awareness.
Benefits of Buying Local
- Supports the local economy - money spent at local businesses stays in the community longer than money spent at big-box stores. This helps to improve the local area, including schools, roads, and the town.
- Personalized service - local sellers and crafters may already know you, which can lead to a more personal and friendly approach.
- Building community - shopping local encourages local business owners, which helps to build a strong community.
- Food security - growing locally provides more food for the area
- Keep our farmers - supporting local farmers keeps them growing and producing