D&R Farm
Welcome
Welcome to D&R Farm of Kentucky. We are a small farm located in Pleasureville, Kentucky in the Franklinton community of Henry County. We specialize in locally-grown and freshly-picked produce, chicken, and pork.
We aim to grow high-quality, fresh produce that your family can enjoy less than 24 hours after it is harvested. Farm to table for your family to enjoy.
Meet Dan & Ruth
D & R Farm is named after us, Dan and Ruth. OK – We are not very creative in naming our farm! Keep reading below to learn more about our story.
Our Story
Dan grew up in Western New York working closely with his grandfather and uncle on their dairy farms and grape vineyards. Dan loved working on the farm and wanted to own a farm of his own one day. The picture below is Dan with his uncle Lenny.
Ruth, on the other hand, did not grow up on a farm. However, being from Arkansas, Ruth did grow up helping her parents in the garden every year, growing tomatoes and green beans. She also helped her mother can green beans and make the best bread & butter pickles – traditions that she carries on to this day.
Dan and Ruth met in 2015, at which point Ruth started helping Dan with his extensive garden. They kept adding more to the garden until they weren’t able to consume all the produce they were growing, so in 2017, they decided to start selling their extra produce. The picture below is our first attempt of selling our produce.
In 2018, Ruth convinced Dan to start selling their produce at the La Grange Farmer’s Market. They only sold small quantities of sweet corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, and tomatoes during their first year. So, the next year, they decided to add more vegetables and expand their produce selection. They even decided it was time to move -up from the hand-held seeder and rotor-tiller, even though it is still used today, to some larger farm equipment.
Soon, their garden turned into a farm, and Dan and Ruth purchased their 25-acre farmland in Pleasureville, KY in 2022. In 2024, they were able to purchase the 30 acre neighboring farm. Now, Dan and Ruth are both “retired” from their firefighting and teaching jobs and enjoy farming full-time.
They have expanded to selling over 50 varieties of produce at the farmer’s market, and they are continuing to expand and grow as they get new ideas and learn more about different farming techniques. In addition to growing produce, they are raising hogs and chickens and grain crops such as field corn and soybeans. They enjoy being present at the farmer’s market every week and tending to their crops and animals each day.
Reflecting back on the last five years has shown them how blessed and how their extremely hard work has paid off. They started without any land or equipment being passed from previous generations to owning over 50 acres and lots of farm equipment. In comparison to larger farms, 55 acres may not seem like a big deal to most people but when you start with nothing, it becomes a big deal. Our advise to new or beginning farmers is don’t give up and start small. Always look for the opportunities and be prepared when they present themselves. It is possible to achieve your goals.
Below is a picture of Ruth planting potatoes. We have a potatoe plow, a potatoe hiller, and a potatoe digger but we do not have a potatoe planter. Whatever method works!
