Kim Bayer has taken her lifelong experiences with food activism to create Slow Farm, an organic, biodiverse farm comprised of two townships ― Ann Arbor and Northfield ― located at 4700 Whitmore Lake Road. Proudly defying the odds and leveraging her wealth of experience in creating a community-focused operation that offers U-pick opportunities to citizens to connect with their food source, Slow Farm is a tangible illustration of passion and perseverance. By introducing an irrigation system, it supplies its consumers with fresh produce such as strawberries, pumpkins, and tomatoes, affording them the joys of consuming grown-from-the-soil products.
At 4700 Whitmore Lake Road, straddling both Ann Arbor and Northfield townships, lies Slow Farm — an organic, biodiverse farm founded in 2017 by Kim Bayer. Proudly defying the odds, Kim leveraged her wealth of experience with food activism to create a community-focused farm that offers U-pick opportunities for people to connect with their food. She earned her Master’s degree in Information and Library Sciences at the University of Michigan and had spent several decades working various positions there, while also freelancing for MLive/The Ann Arbor News and writing about food. Her dedication and commitment to the cause have given rise to Slow Farm — a tangible example of what can be achieved with passion and determination.
Bayer proudly recalls that, despite her parents initially not wanting to take over their grandparent’s farm, she was able to experience firsthand the joys of owning a farm. She fondly remembers spending her childhood summers helping on her grandparents’ farm, where she had the opportunity to taste the difference between real food and processed food. She explains that while at home she ate Campbell’s Soup and bologna with Miracle Whip, at her grandparents’ house she ate spinach, corn, beans, and peas.
Fast-forward six years and Bayer, along with her husband, have transformed the land from a corn and soybean farm into a certified organic USDA farm. The farm has added an irrigation system, which now allows them to provide their customers with a variety of produce such as strawberries, pumpkins, and tomatoes. This amazing transformation is a testament to both Bayer and her husband’s dedication and hard work.
Through Slow Farm’s U-Pick program, customers are now able to pick their produce from the nearly 20 acres of farmland, gaining an understanding of where their food comes from. This is a proud step for Bayer and her husband towards creating a more sustainable food system.
Not only that, but Slow Farm is home to a wide variety of rare heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables—over 15 varieties in total. As part of the Ark Taste program from Slow Food, these heirloom tomatoes are cataloged and protected from becoming endangered in the United States.
Owner and founder, Nat Bayer, is proud to have been approved as a SNAP vendor to make sure the farm is accessible to everyone. With a self-serve farm stand open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 3 pm, Slow Farm provides seasonal produce for the community. For more information and updates on the farm, visit their website or Facebook page.
Slow Farm is an inspirational example of how passion, commitment, and determination can turn a neglected land into one that offers U-pick opportunities for people to connect with their food. It’s proof that modern food activism applies to more than just the meals we put on our plates — it encompasses the entire process of connecting with our food, from its source to our table. Slow Farm has demonstrated its capability to provide high-quality, organic, and biodiverse produce to those in need, allowing folks of all demographics to experience locally grown, organic foods. Kim Bayer and her husband will forever be hailed as heroes of sustainability for initiating this thriving farm—one that lets people get back in touch with nature and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
