Meet twin brothers, military veterans and organic farmers, Reggie and Roger Ramos. After gaining experience through internships and work on other farms, they formed their own market farm, Grow with the Flow in 2014. The brothers began by converting front yards into food-growing spaces in multiple residential locations around Tucker, Georgia.
In 2023, they leased 1 acre on a 23-acre organic Global Growers (GGN) farm in Rockdale County, Georgia. The GGN farm will eventually be home to 15-20 small farm enterprises. The property includes a spring-fed pond, barns with meeting and event spaces, shared working spaces, and shared farm equipment, including fantastic produce-washing stations.
Don't miss our video where we take you on a tour of the Grow With the Flow market farm.
When Grow with the Flow moved to the GGN farm and began growing in a single location, their efficiency greatly improved and production increased significantly.
We visited Reggie and Roger on the farm on a cold and blustery October day. I was reminded of the demands and rigorous work that farmers face each day. The first frost was forecasted for that night and Reggie and Roger were scrambling to fight the wind and wrestle the cover over their caterpillar tunnel.
Covering the tunnel before first frost.
I also learned more about the requirements of organic farming. Grow with the Flow must comply with USDA organic farming standards, including reporting all inputs and outputs from their part of the GGN organic market farm.
Roger and Reggie must measure and keep written documentation on anything they add to the market farm including; seeds, fertilizers, and compost including Soil³. All inputs must be organically certified. They also must weigh and report their outputs, which in layman's terms are harvests and sales.
Rows of gorgeous bok choi, onions, and lettuce.
Soil³ compost is OMRI listed. When product companies apply, OMRI reviews their products against organic standards. Acceptable products become OMRI Listed® and appear on the OMRI Products Lists. Soil³ is made by a high-heat composting process with 100% natural products from the farm. This unique process creates humus compost by helping natural materials decompose to stable, long-lasting organic matter.
It was interesting to hear how Roger and Reggie systematically plan, measure, and report their inputs and outputs. For example, their one-acre parcel of land is divided into blocks. Each block has 20 rows. Each row is 100 feet long and 30 inches wide. They amend their soil with Soil³ compost and have learned that 1 cubic yard (1 BigYellowBag) will lightly amend 4 rows of 100-foot beds and they amend at least once a year.
Compost delivered to the farm, right where they need it.
Reggie and Roger describe themselves as organic “market farmers.” They grow year-round and sell Grow With the Flow produce online through their website and at farmers markets around Atlanta including the Peachtree Road Farmers Market.
Customers at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market greet Roger like old friends.
Video and photography by Laurie and Simon Wakefield.