Today we’d like to introduce you to Bailey Samp.
Bailey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My farming journey started in 2017 when I told my partner I wanted to start a farm with him, even though farming was very different from anything I had grown up around. I had fallen in love with his small market garden farm, and I knew I wanted to build something of our own.
For me, the driving force was wanting to feel more connected to the land and to the food I was putting into my body. I grew up in a way where food and health weren’t really the focus, and as I got older, I realized that was something I wanted to change. Food, happiness, and nurturing my body became a priority in my life. Farming felt like a way to bring all of those things together.
So, we dove right in. We bought land and never looked back. For two years, we lived in a camper while building the farm from the ground up, including building our own home. I’ll never forget the first piece of furniture we built together, a picnic table where we could sit and enjoy our new piece of land. It was simple, but it represented everything we were working toward. So much has changed since then!
Our business took off in 2020, like so many others during covid, as people became more interested in where their food came from and in connecting with local farms. From there, we’ve continued to grow and expand every year.
Fast-forward to today, and what started with the two of us has grown into an incredible team of 24 people, along with our farm, market, bakery, and walkable gardens.
I’m incredibly proud of where we started and all the hard work that got us here. I’m even more proud of our team and what we’ve created together. At the heart of it all, and even in the midst of the chaos, my hope is still the same: to grow good food, create happiness, and nurture our bodies and our community. And now, with a one year old, I’m also learning to slow down, be present, and appreciate the life we’ve worked so hard to build.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. It sounds like a dream, right? It’s not, it’s chaos! Farming is definitely not for the weak and I think it’s important to be brutally honest about what owning a small farm looks like. I think people can romanticize the lifestyle, and while there are certainly beautiful moments, the reality is that it’s incredibly hard work.
Between unpredictable weather, staffing, farmers markets, working holidays, long days, and the never-ending list of things that need to get done in the office, there really aren’t many breaks. It’s tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding and I have to remind myself of that often!
My husband and I always joke that our job is basically putting out fires. Once a farm business grows to a certain size, that’s pretty much what you do every day. The fires just change. A walk-in cooler goes out. You lose a major crop. You suddenly realize you’re out of packaging, seed, or some other very important supply. Someone calls in sick. You’re working outside while your body is fighting off a cold. At this point, I can honestly say I could probably handle all of those things happening in the same day and just keep moving!
But the biggest challenge of all was having a baby. Running a farm is hard, but running a farm and having a baby in July? That was a whole new level of chaos! There’s no real “off-season” when you’re a farmer!
Being a mom is, without a doubt, the hardest job I’ve ever done and I like to point that out because, somehow, the farm feels a little easier now! I think part of that is because I’ve learned to free up some of my mental space by letting go of the things I don’t need to handle myself and trusting others to take care of them as our business grows. It’s been a huge lesson in slowing down, asking for help, and realizing that not every fire actually needs to be put out immediately.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lakeview Hill Farm & Market?
We’re known for our leafy greens, cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes. We grow greens year-round, both in our greenhouses and out in the fields during the summer, and it’s become something we’re especially known for here in Northern Michigan.
We’re also known for our charming, historic farm market housed in a little red schoolhouse. Our market has become a place where people can find local produce, groceries, and baked goods, but also a place to connect with the farm and stroll through our walkable flower fields. We host an annual organic plant sale in May every year and it brings in so many people to kick off spring and start their gardens with transplants they know are local, organic and healthy!
I think what sets us apart is that we’ve truly built this organic farm from the ground up. We dream big, work hard, and somehow manage to get a lot done in a short amount of time! We’ve grown into a bigger farm, but at the heart of it, we’re still a pretty small, hands-on operation run by real people who genuinely love sustainable farming and are trying to make a living doing it.
When you support our farm, whether you’re buying our produce at a local grocery store or stopping into our market—you’re supporting a farm that is deeply invested in this community and in the people who make it run!
One of the things I’m most proud of is the business we’ve built and, especially, the team we’ve built along the way. I’m proud of the wages we’re able to provide and the diverse group of hardworking people we employ. Farming can be a really difficult career, and I’m passionate about making it a realistic, sustainable, lifelong career that people can actually enjoy without completely burning themselves out. We still have a long way to go, but I feel like we’re headed in the right direction!
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is spending time at my grandma’s house. We grew up in Mid-Michigan, and we didn’t get nearly as much time outside as I do now living in Northern Michigan, so I really cherished those days at her house.
I was happiest just being outside, playing in the dirt, climbing around in her flower garden, swinging on the porch swing, swimming, and staying outdoors all day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakeviewhillfarm.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakeviewhillfarm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakeviewhillfarm/
