Journey to the Wholesale Market
Creating a profitable farm was not on the Sullivan family’s radar when their story began. In fact, Ryan, a retired Air Force veteran with 26 years of service, and his wife Jackie hadn’t even considered farming until their passion for chemical-free, nutrient dense food was ignited following Jackie’s natural childbirth. The successful process led to extensive research, which eventually deepened their understanding of nutrition.
A series of documentaries, books, and conferences inspired the couple to make a life-altering shift in how they fed their family. At first, this shift took the form of a small garden at their home in South Dakota, but soon, the garden got a little bigger. Then came egg-laying chickens, and before long Ryan and Jackie found themselves questioning if this was something they wanted to get more involved in.
This consideration sparked a larger vision, and in 2014, the Sullivans moved to their farm in Manitowoc, WI.
“It was a perfect fit for us to get started,” says Ryan. “Jackie and I did not have a background in farming, we just wanted to keep our family healthy, so we very intentionally started to build the farm.”
Ryan and Jackie bought out a foreclosure and spent the first few years cleaning up the property. They started simple with a garden and egg-laying chickens. Throughout the years, they had a natural progression of growth, including building hoop houses, fencing, and raised beds.
The farm’s growth has stemmed from a genuine passion for good, fresh food, free from pesticides and herbicides.
“When we moved here, our first goal was to feed the family, feed the kids, produce the best possible food—clean, chemical-free, nutrient- dense, high-quality food,” Ryan says. “Our family was doing great, so the next aspect, and part of our goal in moving here too, was to be plugged into the community, to be a part of the community, and then, of course, start supporting and supplying the community with healthy food. It's taken awhile, but we are plugged in now.”
During COVID, Ryan and Jackie officially turned the Sullivan Family Farm into a business by creating an LLC. In the beginning, they were producing an amount that their family could eat if they couldn’t sell it, but as time went on, their production grew, and they could no longer rely on consuming their harvest themselves. They would need to find a way to successfully sell their surplus.
This challenge was eased when their neighbor introduced them to Seasonal Harvest. As an agricultural aggregator, Seasonal Harvest helps small farms break into the wholesale market, managing distribution and logistical aspects. This partnership meant the Sullivans could spend more time focusing on farming while also having stability.
“Seasonal Harvest has really helped us to grow as a young farm business. They've provided mentoring, like giving really encouraging guidance on the basics of where we were at as we started. They have also helped us grow and make more progress,” says Ryan. “We feel a sense of security knowing we are working with this group—knowing that there's definitely a future with them. We don’t feel any risk of growing and putting all of our eggs in one basket. We know they will be there for us year after year.”
Before working with Seasonal Harvest, Ryan and Jackie had experience distributing to organizations that went out of business, leaving them scrambling to find new partners. Working with Seasonal Harvest has allowed them to trade that uncertainty for security.
“It has been incredibly positive to work with Seasonal Harvest,” Ryan states. “The feeling that we're working with a significant, legitimate, established food business is a big deal for me. That was the feeling from day one when I got to meet them.”
Seasonal Harvest plays a larger role in their suppliers’ lives than the sole distribution of products. The organization also creates a strong sense of community and actively supports its farmers.
“With a military background, I can easily say it feels like they're welcoming you to the team. You're a member of the group now. They share the standards—so we know this is the way things have to be done,” Ryan explains. “They've been helpful with the consumables, like making sure we get tomato boxes, which are different from other types of boxes. They help with ordering supplies and help us get up to speed and start to build some of our inventory.”
Ryan retired from the military is 2021 and became a full-time farmer. Although he has left that community behind, he feels he’s found a new one at Seasonal Harvest, as well as with the group of local farmers. Ryan and Jackie are always looking to learn new things, and having a supportive network is key to their continued growth.
“There are enough potential customers out there that as we're growing, we can really build a profitable, sustainable business doing this,” Ryan explains. “That's another super critical part of what Seasonal Harvest provides: marketing—the marketing and distribution and logistics, which is right there behind the mentoring, helping us grow, and just helping us get those basic things in place like boxes and shipping.”
The Sullivans’ future goals are to continue growing, increase efficiency, focus on sustainability, become more profitable, and, of course, serve their family and community the healthiest food possible. They feel fortunate to have a partner like Seasonal Harvest to help guide them in their journey.
“We want to help share the story of Seasonal Harvest because they're just fantastic, good people, doing the actual work,” Ryan says. “Doing the work for real and not just talking about it. There's always a lot to be done and organized so we just love them.”
Seasonal Harvest works hard, and so do their suppliers. Ryan and Jackie work diligently to continue their success and provide nutrient-dense, high-quality, chemical-free food to their customers.
Sullivan Family Farm’s products can be found at their on-site farm stand and every Friday afternoon at the Revolution Public Market in Green Bay, WI. Their produce and products are also distributed throughout the community, including through the Grow It Forward program in Manitowoc, WI, which provides access to healthy food for people in need.
More Information
Self-Service Farm Stand: Open Daylight hours
7725 County Rd R
Manitowoc, WI 54220