The Farm on Central
Photos by Sybilika Storie
Carlisle, Ohio—Nestled away in Carlisle is a small, urban family-run farm that’s on a mission to provide its community with fresh and local foods. Owners Michael and Savannah Kilpatrick opened The Farm on Central in July 2020 with a commitment to transparency, education, and community involvement. From the beginning, the farm has been an adventure for the couple and their three young kids that they’ve fully embraced.
“The first year, we did a sunflower field,” Savannah recalls. “We were just letting the cover crop do its thing the first year because it had been industrially farmed for so long. I remember looking out the window thinking, ‘This is never going to happen again, but this is amazing.’”
Today, the Farm on Central offers U-pick strawberries, elderberries, and flowers throughout the year, with plans for additional berry offerings in the future. Education remains close to the farm’s heart, with classes routinely held on gardening, herbalism, and more. Michael’s goal from the get-go has been to teach folks in the community how to grow their own food. “Our community can be self-food-sufficient if people can sow their backyards or put some berry bushes in,” Michael says.
In addition to classes and U-pick sessions, the property features a renovated transit bus filled with the farm’s produce and goods from other local and Ohio-based farms. “Our mission is to bring in the local product and support the local food ecosystem,” Michael says.
The farm also offers a year-round, customizable CSA that allows customers to swap out and replace items of their choosing. But the Kilpatricks’ main goal is to bring people to the farm. “We are not here just to farm. We want people on the property and enjoy the little slice of nature we’re building,” Michael says.