Farmer to Table: The Stories of Those Growing Our Food | Bonus Farm Fresh Recipe
No. 2 - Becca with Hollow Trace Farm
Life coaches ask the question “What did you like to do as a kid?” to help clients identify a passion that could ultimately turn into a path to a dream job. For farmer Becca, a deep love for gardening blossomed in childhood, and nurtured by time spent with her mother among flowers and the occasional tomato plant helped her find her path.
Like many of us, Becca, got a degree in Elementary Education only to determine it was not her destiny. Instead, she returned to her roots (pardon the pun) and went to University of Tennessee, Knoxville, intent on studying forestry until she disovered a program in organic crop production.
It was short lived, though as Becca followed her partner Drew west to Texas, leaving behind formal education. Upon arricing she began teaching gardening and cooking classes at the Tarrant Area Food Bank in Fort Worth. This fateful job connected her to a farmer named Charlie where they worked on numerous projects, including the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, and a symbiotic friendship began to form.
Two Dreams Become One
Becca dreamed of having a large urban farm or community garden. However, she, like many young farmers, found owning land and establishing a farm way out of reach both financially and logistically.
All this changed because Charlie and his wife Laura also had a dream. They had worked for years on a property they intended to retire to in New Mexico but he also had cultivated a beautiful small farm outside of Fort Worth. Nearing their exit date, Charlie began seeking someone to take over the farm not wanting his years of work to waste away in the wrong hands.
In 2021, Charlie realized Becca would be the perfect fit and offered her the farm. After thoughtful consideration, she accepted, knowing she would have a year to learn under Charlie's guidance.
Swapping Hands
Becca shadowed Charlie on the farm from summer of 2021 through August of 2022 when he and Laura made their New Mexico move. Becca soaked in all the knowledge she could and the two talked about potential changes she would make to the farm.
Two years later, much of the farm remains unchanged, though she’s made gradual modifications to improve the ecosystem. She added fruit trees around the edge to attract polinators and expanding sections were among the adjustments she implemented. One major change was the addition of a new growing area, accomplished with the help of a student over the summer.
Managing a Small but Productive Farm
Renamed Hollow Trace, the farm is situated on 1.3 acres of land close to a lake. Surprisingly, Becca grows an extraordinary amount of food on only about a third of an acre. The rest is a rough wooded area in the back of the property, a big lawn for her 3 big fur children plus spaces for chickens to roam (without bothering gardens,) an outdoor kitchen to process vegetables including a large walk-in refrigerator for storage and greenhouse for growing new plant starts.
Despite the farm’s limited size, the output is impressive thanks to biointensive farming techniques. When I asked her what that looked like practically, she said her farm produces almost the same amount of crops as another farmer at the farmers’ market who operates five acres.
Biointensive farming maximizes output by planting crops more densely. While there, I observed herbs growing among the protective growth of greens and watermelons growing under the shade of tall okra plants. This stands in stark contrast to traditional tractor farming, where rows are farther apart with typically only one type of plant per row.






Diversified Crops for Varied Markets
One of the most remarkable aspects of her farm is the sheer diversity of crops grown on such a small plot of land. From leafy greens and herbs like cilantro, dill, and parsley, to peppers and other vegetables, the farm boasts an impressive array of varieties numbering close to 75 different varieties.
In addition to growing customer favorites, each growing season, she checks in with chefs to ensure she’s growing crops they’ll want to use in their kitchens. If the crops also do well at the farmer's market, it’s a win-win situation and gives those of us seeking diversity more interesting options.
The Value of Organic Certification and the Farmer’s Market Dilemma
This extensive variety, however, poses challenges when it comes to organic certification, which requires detailed records of all seeds and inputs used. This requirement perfectly illustrates why many small farmers aren’t “certified organic.”
Many small farmers are already practicing sustainable and organic-like methods without being officially certified. However, farmers may choose to forgo the certification due to cost or the sheer effort involved. In this article
poses great questions to ask your local farmers without putting them on the defense while getting the information you’re seeking.The Importance of Soil Management
Like we learned in the first installment of “Farmer to Table” from Farmer Mariah, soil is life!
As the Hollow Trace property lies near a lake, sandy soil is prevalent and much easier to work with than the clay-laden soil that appears more prominently at the bottom of the property. The difficult clay is mitigated by routine additions of peat moss, compost, dried molasses, and green sand.
These amendments, along with consistent mulching, have improved soil texture and nutrient content, making it suitable for growing tender, heat-sensitive crops like one of their best selling crops, arugula.
I have purchased arugula from both Charlie and Becca assuming it was grown in a greenhouse, so this came as a surprise but it speaks to what commitment to soil health can produce (I promise…I’m really not trying to use puns! 🤣.)
A Self-Sustaining System
From hand-weeding to harvesting, this is mostly a one-woman show.My favorite Instagram posts are the Farmer Becca to-do lists for the week. It’s exhausting and inspiring her 10 to 14 hour days more relatable to us normal humans. Her daily lists are about following the sun and working as long as there’s daylight. The idea of taking a day off is more of a dream than a reality.
Despite the hard work, she clearly loves what she does. When asked if farming is something she could do for the rest of her life, her response is both thoughtful and honest: “I do enjoy it... I don’t know if I would want to do it for the rest of my life, but I don’t know what else I would do.”
Farming is undoubtedly a passion project, but it’s not without its financial challenges. “You’re definitely not making the big bucks working on a farm,” she admits. It’s a profession driven by a love for the land and the satisfaction of feeding people, not by monetary rewards. There’s always the consideration of adopting different farming methods or scaling back to have more free time, but that’s a decision for another day.
Enhancing Farm Facilities
As our visit was winding down, Becca invited us into her small outbuilding being renovated into a canning kitchen. Through a grant from Texas Department of Agriculture, this bettered facility will allow her to process and store food on-site rather than transporting everything to the house. The ability to safely create value-added products like jams, jellies, and pickles, adds another revenue stream to the farm's operations which is helpful during slow crop months.
In addition to a functional kitchen, a separate space for seed starting is essential for improving efficiency. Once completed and organized, she will be able to truly account for what seeds she’s growing and even begin to save a few of the non-hybrid varieties.
Farming is a Lifestyle
Farming is more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle requiring passion, dedication, and resilience. Becca and Drew enjoy the literal fruits of their labor, many times eating meals completely grown in their backyard. However, that’s at the cost of very long days for Becca - and sometimes Drew - at the height of growing season. (I’m seeing a trend with farmers…corporate workers have nothing on them in terms of hours!)
As we were taking a photo, Becca commented “ you don't go into farming thinking oh this will be awesome, I'm gonna make all kinds of money. I mean it is a lifetime commitment.”
My Thoughts on The Farm…
I had been a customer of Charlie’s since he had first appeared at the market several years before, so when I found out he was developing an exit strategy, I was a bit sad. His produce was some of the best and most beautiful at the market and the best priced. I was a bit nervous that no one would come close to replacing him, but Becca has definitely carried on his legacy, evident each week in the quality and quantity of varieties she has available.
Clearly, her passion for gardening was the common thread that brought her from childhood to this picturesque little farm. I look forward to the future of what she has available as she adds more fruit trees and more beds, experimenting with varieties that will endure the crazy hot summers and sometimes frigid winters (looking at you Snowmageddon 2021!)
Once again, I’m in awe of those who grow our food. They are hard working, kind and doing a work that is not appreciated nearly enough yet they keep going.
So thanks, Becca (and Drew) for all your work and thanks to sages like Charlie who pass along their wisdom.
Greek Burgers with Chard & Radish Tzaziki
These burgers are a celebration of what I watched Becca harvest. (Yes, I did offer to help, but she preferred to work and talk. I get it…newbies slow the process!) Radishes as a standin for cucumbers in the Tzaziki, chard in the burgers (you could sub spinach or arugula) and arugula for topping.
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