David Zaback, has come a long way since he was a picky eater growing up in Iowa.
“I never ate beets before I started farming, and I love beets more than any other vegetable,” said Zaback, today the owner and farmer of Z Food Farm. “I definitely didn’t eat tomatoes growing up, and now I grow 50 varieties of tomatoes.”
Zaback’s interest in food began around 2001, when he was a sophomore at Iowa State University. As a child, he didn’t like eating vegetables, but he was intrigued when a college friend started buying local produce and cooking.
“I remember he was stuffing poblano peppers that we were grilling,” Zaback said.
Zaback, an anthropology major, developed an interest in food and where it came from. He began doing research and taking some classes through his school’s graduate program in sustainable agriculture.
Zaback also participated in a National Student Exchange program in California. While there, he volunteered on a farm.
“It was nice talking about everything in a classroom setting, but it seemed a lot more real to me actually volunteering at the farm,” Zaback said.
While working on the farm, Zaback saw the passion that farmers had for food. When he returned to Iowa, he began volunteering with his school’s student farm.
When Zaback was in college, his parents moved to New Jersey for his mother’s career. In 2004, he joined them in the Garden State, and began a three-year internship at Cherry Grove Organic Farm.
Initially, he hadn’t decided on a career in agriculture, but he thought the internship would provide a valuable experience.
While interning at Cherry Grove Organic Farm, he was inspired by farmer Matt Conver, who served as his mentor.
“He started from scratch,” Zaback said. “It was awesome to see a sustainable farm built from the ground up, and that’s what ultimately led me to start thinking that I could do it.”
Conver said he could tell Zaback had a strong interest in farming. He said Zaback was the only intern he’s ever had return for more than one season.
“We have had a lot of interns. Most people like it, but you could tell he was really into it,” Conver said.
After completing his internship at Cherry Grove Organic Farm, Zaback worked as a manager at Gravity Hill Farm in Titusville from 2007 through 2009, where he assisted with the startup of the farm and helped it become certified organic.
Zaback signed a lease for his own farm, Z Food Farm, in January. The farm is located at 3501 Princeton Pike, on the land that used to be a satellite farm for Little Acres.
He leases his land from the same family as Conver. Conver said the owner approached him about the available land, and he gave them Zaback’s contact information.
“I definitely wasn’t interested in farming more land, but I knew David was looking for an opportunity to lease,” Conver said.
Zaback is currently farming on five acres of land, and hopes to plant on about eight acres next season. Looking forward, he will be able to expand as far as 15 acres.
The first year at the farm has gone well, Zaback said. He said he has received a lot of support from his parents and from other local farmers. He still keeps in touch with Conver, and often borrows his tractor. Conver said he benefits from the collaboration as well. The two farmers grow some different crops, and discuss what has, and hasn’t, worked on their individual farms.
“It’s good to have a friend who’s also an organic farmer down the street,” Conver said.
Zaback sells his produce at Z Food Farm on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. He also participates in other markets. On Saturdays, he sells at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, and on Sundays he takes part in the Lawrenceville Farmers’ Market.
Z Food Farm has also established working relationships with Elements restaurant in Princeton and The Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell.
One of Zaback’s goals is to obtain organic certification by next season.
“That’s going to be probably my top priority once the season winds down, is to finalize the paperwork,” Zaback said.
Although Z Food Farm is still in the process of receiving organic certification, Zaback said that he grows all of his produce organically.
“It’s the only way that I’ve done it, because I interned at an organic farm and then I managed an organic farm,” Zaback said.
One method that Zaback employs is the use of white covers that are placed over crops. The covers allow water, air and light to reach the plants, but create a physical barrier against insects, Zaback said.
Markets are scheduled to continue at Z Food Farm until around Thanksgiving. Produce likely to be available in November includes rutabaga, celery, kale, swiss chard, beets, spinach, broccoli rabe and winter squash, such as butternut squash and pumpkins, Zaback said.
When harvesting, Zaback said he aims for perfection.
“A lot of people grow a lot of vegetables, but we have to make ourselves different, and so, we try and have the highest standards for freshness and quality, like not trying to sell anything that’s less than perfect,” Zaback said.
Zaback said that one of his favorite parts of farming has been connecting with the people who eat local produce. He has started using the website, Twitter, to communicate with consumers. He said he takes pictures of the plants growing in the fields, so he can engage people long before the vegetables go to market.
Zaback said he enjoys growing vegetables that people know and enjoy, as well as those that are less commonly found.
“The thing that I’m the most passionate about, is growing unique, diverse vegetables. Things that maybe you can’t get anywhere else,” Zaback said.
In some ways, the once-picky eater has come full circle, as he tries to share his interest in the variety of food with others.
“I also like exposing people to newer, different things too, and I just think it keeps a passion and an interest in food,” Zaback said. “I think it’s exciting that all of these vegetables exist and have existed for years and years.”
More information about Z Food Farm is availabe online at zfoodfarm.com.
Farmer David Zaback poses with veggies from Z Food Farm for sale at his Princeton Pike stand Oct. 20, 2010. (Photo by Stacey Pastorella.),
