PEOPLE OF INTEREST
grange’s second farm in the old Brooklyn Navy Yard.
“I couldn’t get enough After a while, he moved helped business partner People
of it,” he said.
on to Locust, N.J., where he
Meg Paska run a three-quarters
of an acre farm on a 20-acre estate. Besides vegetables,
they raised chicken, ducks, goats, turkeys and rabbits for a
community-supported agriculture program.
His next career move came after he linked up with former
South Fork classmates Jackie Vitale and Micah Hartman
during a visit back home. The three began brainstorming
about bringing local food and a better sense of community
to Stuart and the result was Ground Floor Farm.
“It was, and still is, so important to bring that young
farmer and local farming energy that was so influential to
me to my hometown,” Meier said. Homegrown food, sustainability
and food education became an important part of
People
his life.
Ground Floor Farm, located in the old Salvation Army
building at 100 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is Meier’s
pride and joy. It has been transformed from an event space
and small farm to a full-blown, farm-to-table café that has
classes in food education and a marketplace that offers
Meier’s fresh vegetables and local, handcrafted goods.
Meier said he hopes to see more young people come back
home and stay.
“There is unlimited potential to create this larger movement
centered around community and food,” he said. “No
matter how people continue to talk about our business, I
love farming and food and this work. I want to inspire more
people to be unafraid and see there are different ways to
live and learn.”
Serving the Treasure Coast with
total dedication and support,
Toni Gentry, Attorney
& Certified Public Accountant,
can handle all of your legal needs.
109
MICHAEL MEIER
Age: 31
Lives in: Stuart
Occupation: Farmer and entrepreneur
People
Family: Boy, an 8-year-old cat
Education: Bachelor of Arts
degree in anthropology and
linguistics from New York
University
Hobbies: Nature walks and bicycling
Who inspires me: Leslie Knope and Temple Grandin, professor
of animal science and behavior and autism spokesperson.
Something most people don’t know about me: “I competed
in a women’s gymnastics competition at age 7.”
People
It was, and still is, so
important to bring that
young farmer and local
farming energy that was
so influential to me to my
hometown.”
People
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— Michael Meier
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