TAMPA, Fla. — Hearing that crisp snap as the roots separate and a fresh radish is plucked from carefully cultivated soil is a sound farm manager Kaitlin Davis doesn't tire of hearing. 

“Right now, I'm harvesting radishes.” Davis explained. “These ones are red, very round, radishes."

Over the years she's worked at Fat Beet Farm, she's seen her fair share of different harvests. Davis first started her career as an intern after hearing about the farm through her graduate degree program at USF. After graduating with a degree in global sustainability with a concentration in food sustainability, she was hired on full time at the farm. 

“Being able to share this with my community and show people what we are doing here is a really fulfilling part," Davis said, "All of us get to get our hands dirty and farm and also participate in the tourism side, so it's a best of both worlds kind of situation.”

But what sets Fat Beet Farm apart from other farms around the state is its mission of sustainability and a focus on farm-to-table production. Farm founders Jen and Tim Curci, both professionals in the food industry, first opened their doors in 2013 on coastal land near Tampa Bay and created a farm devoted to no food waste. 

Nearly a decade later, they compost and use hydroponics and even an aquaponics system. All of these factors create a spot that demonstrates how people can eat well while also protecting the land.

“It's definitely a labor of love. We are all out here every week working together,” Davis said. “It's really nice because we are a family business, and it's just the family sitting down together, looking at where we've come to and where do we want to go next."

Fat Beet Farm goes a step further, creating a gorgeous kitchen and market where the food grown is used to create delicious, healthy meals.

Fat Beet Farm is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but open the rest of the week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call ahead to schedule tours of the farm.