K-State Graduate Opens an On Your Honor Farm Stand
The GD Farm Stand is named after K-State graduate Jacob Garman-Davenport ’10, ’13. Garman-Davenport works as a laboratory manager for Smithfield Foods Inc. He has a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences and industry and a master’s in public health. He now lives in Kansas City where he, his husband, Shon, and their daughter run the farm stand along with having full-time jobs themselves.
At K-State spoke with Garman-Davenport on his experience operating and running the GD Farm Stand.
What is The GD Farm Stand?
The GD Farm Stand is a self-service stand located in Kansas City, Kansas, that is stocked with raw cow and goats milk, fresh cream, farm fresh eggs and our soap and lotion products made with goats milk - all of which are handcrafted at the farm. We love that we are able to offer our community farm fresh products in a fun, easy and convenient pick-up format.
Tell us a little bit about your time at K-State.
My years at K-State stand out as some of the most cherished moments of my life. I successfully earned my undergraduate degree in animal science in 2010, followed by a master of public health in 2013. Manhattan remains my home away from home and each visit back builds new memories. The friends I made at K-State have evolved into an integral part of my extended family, solidifying the lasting impact of my time there.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you are doing now post grad.
I moved to Kansas City in 2013 and eventually purchased our farm in 2019. Now married with a 1-year-old, the balance of raising a child, running a farm and a full-time job can be challenging most days but working as a team and the support from our community keep us going. We have eight dogs, several cows and horses, a token donkey, a dozen milking goats and tons of chickens and ducks! I currently work full-time for Smithfield Foods managing 35 microbiological and chemistry laboratories across the U.S. I love the day-to-day challenges of working with different personalities and levels of experience. In one day, I may talk to vice presidents of the company, entry level laboratory technicians, plant managers and vendors.
How has your time at K-State changed what you do today?
My time at K-State has given me an advantage in my professional career. When others look at my resume, it instantly adds a layer of reassurance that I was trained in a manner that is science based and have the knowledge to apply that learning in a practical manner. Outside of my professional career, K-State has laid the groundwork for the concept of family. The K-State values of family has taught me to value your friendships that turn into part of our family as well as building those values with our customers.
How did the idea for The GD Farm stand get started?
In the spring of 2023, we launched The GD Farm Stand in response to the escalating demand for our products. The decision stemmed from the challenges of coordinating individual customer pickups while juggling our full-time jobs, family and farm responsibilities.
Considerable thought was invested in the farm stands design, such as maintaining a consistently stocked inventory, facilitating smooth payment transactions, and preserving the optimal temperature for our milk.
What is your favorite part about running The GD Farm Stand?
Our favorite part of the farm stand is the community involvement! We are constantly meeting new customers who love our products and the convenience our farm stand provides. We have customers approach us in public that recognize our logo on shirts or pictures from social media. You can find us on social media @theGDfarm or our website: thegdfarm.com
What is your biggest challenge when running The GD Farm Stand?
Being a very small farm, our biggest challenge is meeting customer demand. Oftentimes, we have customers waiting at the stand and purchase all of our inventory before the farm stand is officially open. Some of our products are seasonal as well as dry off periods for our milking animals and egg production fluctuation in the colder months.
Where can people find The GD Farm Stand?
The GD Farm Stand is located at 3442 N. 123rd St. Kansas City, Kansas. The farm stand is open on various days throughout the week, and we keep our customers updated on availability via social media.
If there was one thing you wanted others to know about The GD Farm Stand and yourself what would it be?
If I had to point out one thing that has made our stand, farm and life successful it would be to always keep learning. Take the time to educate yourself on all aspects of your business and spend the time needed to teach others. I have had some amazing mentors over the years to bounce ideas off of that have made me a better business owner, farmer and person. We have a passion for teaching others and often host small groups of students at the farm to teach them all about our operation.