Meet The Farmers: Rabbit Crest Farms
Rabbit Crest Farms
A family trio joined forces to open a new farm in Greenville
A trio of family members started experimenting in horticulture and decided to open a farm.
What could go right? A lot, it turns out.
In the middle of quarantine, Donna Tribble, Elijah (Eli) Ackerman, and Sarah Grace (SG) Kivett, now co-owners and farmers at Rabbit Crest Farms, combined their passion, curiosity, and sheer determination to open a small-scale organic farm located less than 10 minutes from downtown Greenville. Farming offered the quality of life and challenges they were individually looking for, and after a search for land, they landed a property that included a home SG & Eli occupy as full-time farmers-in-residence.
Rabbit Crest Farms now grows heirloom produce and cut flowers using regenerative, no- and low-till agricultural practices, while preserving and honoring the beauty of the land they call home. They sell at the weekly farmers’ markets, directly to restaurants, and host culinary-centric events on their property.
We asked them to help introduce themselves and their work to our OTGG readers, and here’s what they want you to know:
Words by: Ariel H. Turner
Images by: Jackie Shapiro Brooker
Who They Are
The short version: Donna is the mother to SG, who married Eli.
Donna is a licensed attorney who previously worked as in-house counsel for an Upstate hospital system. She loves all things floral and has re-ignited her creative side by taking courses on floral design and bouquet work. An 8th-generation farmer, she was raised on a tobacco farm with a half-acre family garden space in rural Kentucky where she learned the fine art of manual farming. Farming paid her way to college and law school and she "drove a desk, not a tractor" for 30 years before turning her interests to Rabbit Crest.
SG’s (right) love of the perfect tomato is well documented; she and Eli grew a large backyard garden at their first home, where she honed her tomato cultivating skills and trialed many varieties of heirlooms. She previously worked as a graphic designer in the outdoor apparel industry and her design talents are on display throughout Rabbit Crest's branding, social media, and in their Farmers Market and pop-up sets. She also determines the color palette for their floral offerings, designs weekly market bouquets, and manages the farm's production schedule.
Eli (left) brings culinary savvy to the farm. His love of all things spicy led to his developing "Rabbit Cult Hot Sauce"—the product that launched their branding and ignited SG and Eli's passion for growing. In their first year of farming, Eli worked in the kitchen at GB&D where he learned how local restaurants source, purchase, store and prepare their produce.
Something New
Starting over in a new industry with completely new colleagues and customers can be daunting. The local community embraced the Rabbit Crest team, and they’ve found a camaraderie they didn’t expect:
“We have been surprised by our Farmer's Market customers' depth and breadth of knowledge of both vegetables and florals, and their excitement for and support of our farm. Our friends have also supported us in incredible ways. . . . Another surprise and delight of ours is the camaraderie among local farmers in the Upstate, and their willingness to share best practices, trade products, make or receive referrals, lend equipment, and embrace new farmers without hesitation.
“Finally, after years of working indoors, we have a new appreciation for the seasons and the intricacies of the SWAPA (soil, water, air, plants, and animals) on our little slice of land. We are stopping daily to take pictures or to call one another over to see something new.”
Growing Partnerships
Local partnerships are the guiding force for the culinary events Rabbit Crest hosts:
“It is important to us to prioritize having fun, genuine partnerships that lead to thoughtful and inspired events. . . . We grow what we hope local chefs find exciting to cook, not just the standard Southern crops. Our time spent with local chefs has shown that they, like we, love a creative outlet and immersive customer experience. . . .
“The Season's Tastings dinner series was the culmination of that very idea, with courses and drink pairings inspired by and prepared with an extensive variety of ingredients harvested that very day, often just feet from where the guests are sitting.”
The Gardens event space itself was built with the help of a local farmer and woodworker Amanda Yoder of Coda Studios, and the seating was built by the Walters family of Cryptid Coffee.
The first Season’s Tastings events featured Rabbit Crest friends and supporters chef Alex George and baker Jen Anderson of GB&D, as well as Stephen Phillips of Exile. They also partnered with Hester General Store to source ingredients for their pies, provide florals for catering spreads, and host an on-farm “Pie Fest.”
Stay in the Know
They are planning to resume their Season’s Tasting series in Spring 2023 and are looking forward to announcing more partnered events.
Follow @rabbitcrestfarms on Instagram for their farming adventures and upcoming events featuring local chefs and beverage experts.