Sarah Partyka of The Farmer’s Daughter

Note: This story was produced for our spring 2020 issue before the COVID-19 crisis. Please see end of article for business updates.

Carving Out a Niche to Keep an Old Family Farm in Business

There’s a moment each year when Sarah Partyka returns to the greenhouses at The Farmer’s Daughter, awakening them from a winter slumber. As she opens each door, Sarah is greeted with a warm rush of air and takes a deep breath, savoring the smell of rebirth.

“There’s something about the scent of fresh soil,” she says. “I can take a deep breath and smell it now.”

As Sarah recalls this moment, spring is still a few months away, and a light snow dusts the ground. She is seated in her office, a small shed-like building behind the greenhouses on her farm in South Kingstown, and, as she describes this seasonal ritual, it’s almost as if spring enters the room: She seems transported, a farmer in her element.

The Farmer’s Daughter spans several acres and sits on land purchased by her father in the late 1960s. For much of Sarah’s childhood, it was known as The Berry Patch, one of the first pick-your-own strawberry fields in the state. For many years, it was also a Christmas tree farm, the remnants of which dot the landscape, growing between buildings and along the perimeter.

“I always knew I wanted to be part of the farm,” Sarah says. “It was running through my veins. It was a very natural thing for me.”

She credits her grandmothers with passing on their love for gardening. From her Polish grandmother she learned the value of a good vegetable garden, and from her English grandmother she learned to grow and harvest flowers. And then there are her parents, who eventually purchased a 50-acre parcel off Route 2 in Richmond, where they still live.

To build upon the experiential education of her childhood, Sarah studied horticulture at the University of Rhode Island. She graduated in 1995, one of a handful of women in her program. In 1998, she opened a farm stand on Mooresfield Road, at the location of the former Berry Patch. It included one greenhouse and a small shed with a cash register. At the time, Sarah had no idea this business would expand into a multifaceted garden center. Looking back, she says The Farmer’s Daughter has “unveiled itself” over the years.

She notes that it took some time to sort out what her “little niche” would be. Sarah initially experimented with retail by selling things like pumpkins and mums, remnants of The Berry Patch. She then had the idea of planting annuals for spring, and distinctly remembers wanting to plant and sell things that were different from the norm.

“I want the unusual ... I want to be able to offer that to the customers,” she recalls thinking at the time. “That is what we’re kind of known for … [our] vast array of selection.”

The original farm store remains intact on the property, and is still where customers go to make their purchases. Over the years, more structures have been added, and there are now seven large greenhouses with two smaller ones, one of which serves as classroom space, as well as grow houses and a large barn constructed by Amish builders.

“We’re evolving into a village experience here,” Sarah notes, with a smile. The farm includes “little vignettes,” which people can enter and explore, and which change with the seasons, making each visit feel like an escape into a world of whimsy.

Customers can also pick their own flowers from the cutting garden. The dahlias are a special draw in late summer. “They come into their glory as we come into August and September,” Sarah says, adding that “dahlias are super sensitive” and will only last until the first frost, which usually comes early at The Farmer’s Daughter, given its location in a valley.

Part of running the farm involves being in constant communication with Mother Nature. “She can be nice or she can be fickle,” Sarah says, explaining that she and the farm crew use sustainable farming methods, incorporating things like integrated pest management in lieu of preventative spraying. “You’ve always got your eyes on every part of the business,” she says.

Another part of the job is going to trade shows with her staff, which includes a core of 15 people and swells to 30 depending on the season, and selecting items to sell as plant accessories, home and garden accents and more. Sarah has seen various trends come and go, like a recent love for all things succulent, and also big potted palm trees and other houseplants, a marker of millennial minimalism and Scandinavian-style living.

As for her own home, which is a short walk from her business, Sarah has a select few plants. Managing the farm and greenhouses keeps her busy enough, she says. Being a small business owner, she generally works every day, in some capacity. And when she’s not at work, she’s busy caring for her horses, all eight of them. She also has five goats, which have been known to “summer at the farm.” A typical day begins as the sun rises, with her tending to the horses, then visiting the farm and eventually returning home after a long day to care for the horses.

When asked what sort of advice she would offer anyone interested in growing plants, or a small business, Sarah pauses and then says: “Don’t be intimidated, don’t be afraid to start, or ask questions.

“Find your passion. When you find your passion, the work is not work,” she says. “You will dedicate everything you have to that passion.” She believes that one reason The Farmer’s Daughter has grown so successfully over the years is because customers feel her passion for the business, and respond to it in kind.

For those interested in plants, specifically, she advises to “start at the beginning, which is looking at your soil,” and to always remember that plants are living and enjoy interaction. “Plants really do need that tender loving care to get going,” Sarah says.

The Farmer’s Daughter reopens for the season on March 21, the official first day of spring. It remains open until Christmas Eve. In addition to the garden shop offerings, Sarah hosts a variety of classes and workshops, and a schedule for these can be found on the website. The annual seedling sale will take place the first week of May, and will include vegetable seeds for purchase, as well as plant starters. Sarah is always adding new things, so customers should expect a different experience with each visit.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” she says, of growing The Farmer’s Daughter, “a big labor of love, I call it.”

The Farmer’s Daughter
716 Mooresfield Rd., South Kingstown
401.792.1340; TheFarmersDaughterRI.com

Updated April 9, 2020. Open M–Sa, 10 am–4 pm. Email/phone orders for curbside pick up and delivery only. 401.792.1340; info@thefarmersdaughterri.com