From Farm to Frontsteps

Bringing his family farm to your doorstep is the summer endeavor of 19-year-old Kevin Staehly.

He has started his own business delivering fresh Staehly farm grown, produce and fruits, along with local cheeses and eggs, right to the doorsteps of customers in the Middlesex County and New London County areas.

Mimicking the door-to-door service of Stop and Shop’s Peapod delivery service, Staehly has developed a website, on which customers pick and choose the fresh produce and goods they desire. He then tracks the orders and offers next day delivery.

“The real difference is that I get your order one day and then the next day, I go to the field, pick the fruit and produce right off the vine and deliver it right to your door step. This produce isn’t sitting in a warehouse somewhere, delivered from another state or country. Its fresh, Connecticut grown goods and the taste is amazing,” touts Staehly.

Back home from his freshman year at the University of Puget Sound in Washington State, where he is majoring in business as well as marine biology, Staehly started his delivery business in May and will continue until he returns to school in late August.

“Honestly, I think it is because I am an only child and I don’t want to work for someone else so I started my own business and it is working out pretty well so far,” says Staehly who is also very passionate about helping people eat fresh, local food.

“My goal is to make sure that people who want to eat fresh, local produce and fruit can do so, no matter what their schedule is,” says Staehly who started to outline the idea for his business when he was home on the holiday break in December, when gas prices were a lot less expensive. His charge for delivery is only $5.

“I am hoping that the price of gas goes down a bit, but I have two different vehicles I use depending on the orders for the day and they both get pretty good mileage so it is working out for now.”

In recent weeks Staehly’s biggest seller was the fresh lettuce from his parent’s farm. Now that corn is available, there have been a lot of orders for that as well. The raspberries are juicy and ready for purchase now, as are the cucumbers and pickling cucumbers, some yellow squash, strawberries and zucchini. In the upcoming weeks, plump fresh, field grown tomatoes will be ready along with eggplants, string beans, peaches and late summer apples.

Long term plans for Staehly and his entrepreneurial spirit are to return to school in Washington and hopefully work out there for a while after college, then return home to Connecticut and possibly back to the farm. For now he is happy doing what he is doing.

“We want Kevin to leave all his options open,” says a supportive Gail Staehly, Kevin’s mom. “If he comes back and eventually wants to run the farm here fantastic, but we don’t want him to feel obligated.”

 If you would like to meet Kevin and sample some of his delicious farm fresh fare, “Bite Me; A Taste of Local Agriculture,” will be held at the farm in East Haddam on July 20^th from 7 to 9 p.m.

Author Emily Brooks will be on hand signing her book, “Connecticut Farmer and Feast,” which features Staehly Farm.

There will also be a wine and cheese tasting, goat milking demonstration and tastings of local jams, preserves and more. For more information call 860-873-9774 or visit the Staehly's website.