Kat Johnson, 35 / Farmer, Kat the Farmer
Kat Johnson has proudly led and owned Kat the Farmer LLC on a quarter-acre farm in Check since 2021. Her commitment to sustainable farming practices is underscored by her Certified Naturally Grown certification. A fervent advocate for education, Johnson shares her knowledge through blogs, videos and contributions to Growing For Market Magazine. The second-place winner of the 2020 Floyd C4 business competition and a spokesperson for SCORE mentors, her commitment to sustainability, community engagement and knowledge sharing makes her an inspiration for women in the farming and food industry. Her line of Kat the Farmer salad dressings are available in retail outlets across Roanoke, Floyd and Blacksburg. “I try to be more purposeful than passionate. Passion can wax and wane with the challenges of a farm season (think crop losses, challenging weather, pests!). Rather, purpose keeps me going despite those challenges. If my purpose is to build a sustainable farm that produces fresh food for the community and promotes local farmers then that is what gets me out of bed in the morning. People are trusting and depending on me!”
Education:
- B.A. in American History from Mills College, Oakland, CA, 2010
Community Involvement:
- Served as Board President for Plenty Farm & Food Pantry from 2017 to 2020
- Volunteer at Virginia Association for Biological Farming in 2017
- Active participation in local farmers' markets
From the Nomination: “In 2013, Kat Johnson began farming in Floyd County, a community that grows food for our whole region, including Roanoke. You’ll see her photo displayed proudly above the produce section at the Roanoke Co+op. But what you may not know is that from that first season in Floyd, a decade ago, she was making connections, building community knowledge and sharing the story of farming in Floyd with the eaters that enjoy its bounty.
Working on several different Floyd farms over the years, she has grown and sold well over $1 million worth of vegetables and she has been able to hone her craft of caring for plants. But it has been her deeper purpose -- to bring people together, to connect people with sustainable and healthy food and to treasure this region's farms and farmers -- that has motivated everything she has done. What is she truly working for? Healthy people and resilient communities.
When it came time to figure out a business plan for a new endeavor all her own, her connections to farmers and an ongoing desire to promote and showcase local food was inherent in the new concept. Her farmlet and business, named Kat The Farmer, grows salad-centric crops (greens, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers) on ¼ acre in Check, VA. The food business creates value-added products like salad kits and salad dressings. Founded in 2021, it has been a one-woman operation from the beginning and is finishing up its third season of growing. The farm model had to be efficient and productive to be run by a solo farmer and Johnson has secured the financing, funding and infrastructure she needed to make the farm profitable since the very first season. Although no farm is outrageously profitable, it is still a big win in an industry that demands big investment only to sell a head of lettuce for $3 each.
In a normal week, Johnson delivers to customers in Roanoke and Blacksburg and attends the Saturday Blacksburg Farmers Market, meaning that on a weekly basis there are hundreds of individuals enjoying the quality, flavor and superior shelf life of locally grown produce. … Johnson is a wonder at food production and growing a wide variety of salad vegetables on a small amount of land. She values efficiency, record-keeping and high standards, qualities that have enabled her to raise delicious food and create a thriving food business. She is also strong in building relationships – with other growers, with her face-to-face customers at Blacksburg Farmers Market, with her online customers in her subscription salad business and with the retailers who carry her products. Kat the Farmer salad dressing can now be found in retail outlets across Floyd, Blacksburg and Roanoke.
She is a natural teacher, sharing her production techniques through her website and YouTube videos, as well as in teaching roles with Certified Naturally Grown, a national organization that provides certification of sustainable growing practices through peer farmer reviews. Johnson is incredibly generous, inviting other growers and the public to her land to see what and how she’s growing and share best practices with all who ask. Johnson is also a woman in a field dominated by older men. She drives a tractor, she builds fences, she does the hard labor of running a small farm, as well as the soft labor of telling her story in her delightful newsletter, website and social media accounts. She is an inspiration to women considering running their own farm or their own food business.
Johnson is quick to volunteer when she sees a need. (In 2023, she showed up at short notice to help paint a mural at LEAP!) Above all, Johnson has created a business out of something many would not have predicted would be successful and she’s done so by keeping sustainable growing practices and community front and center of all that she does. Johnson is an inspiration to so many!”
What do you love about Roanoke?
“Roanoke is a small city with a strong connection to the source of its food. I love that today, just like the early days of Roanoke, you still have farmers growing food in the countryside and delivering it to the people of Roanoke on a regular basis. That connection between people, food and economics is long-lasting and key to the resilience of the Roanoke foodshed and the entire region.”
How does your passion impact our community?
“I try to be more purposeful than passionate. Passion can wax and wane with the challenges of a farm season (think crop losses, challenging weather, pests!). Rather, purpose keeps me going despite those challenges. If my purpose is to build a sustainable farm that produces fresh food for the community and promotes local farmers then that is what gets me out of bed in the morning. People are trusting and depending on me!”