Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Hahn Kim Kueberth.
Hi Cody Hahn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Often times, inspirational stories tell the journey of one person, but in our story, Elemental Farm would not exist without the two of us falling in love and sharing a dream. So we decided to write this together and share how it all started with a click of a button.
The year was 2016, and like so many others, we both found ourselves divorced and navigating the drab electronic dating scene. While swiping through an endless stream of profiles mimicking the same chants, one bold statement stood out.
“Girl seeking guy for long term. Does not eat meat. Does not kill. Grows vegetables. Has empathy for the planet and all its inhabitants. Must share the same morals.”
It was a little unconventional here in Texas, but something about it sounded familiar, so Cody responded with:
“Rock and roll cowboy. Saves animals, does not eat them. Grows food. Digs Captain Planet. Roots for the underdog and the little guy. Has the same morals.”
From that message on, we were hooked.
Weeks passed and we talked every day, getting to know each other, sharing our dreams, discussing the problems of the world, and talking about the future, until one mundane day, a tiny idea was planted: “Why not start a farm?”
So, Kim did what any rational girl would do. She sold her island home, took the money, and jumped in feet first with this dreamy farming cowboy.
Our mission was clear, grow food the way our ancestors once did. Scale it down, make it manageable for two people, and most important of all, do not use chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, or GMOs. Instead, become symbiotic with nature, work in unison with natural predators, restore the soil to a diverse biome, and educate the community on how to do the same.
We became first generation farmers, pioneering our own path. Elemental Farm was born in 2018, and what began as a tiny idea has grown into the life we now share.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The largest challenge has been environmental. Our climate is changing every year, and what was once a small or isolated weather event has now become a yearly occurrence with titles attached like “record-breaking,” “extreme,” or “once in a lifetime.”
Every year the weather seems to break a new record, and it continues to become more difficult to grow food with shifting seasons.
One of the first things we constructed on the farm was our high tunnel systems to protect crops, manipulate temperature and wind, and extend our growing seasons. Together, with the help of our tractor, we built three 100-foot high tunnel greenhouses. Each one plays a vital role in growing food year round. Two are used for rotational hot and cool seasonal crops, and the third is our perennial crop house.
However, even these structures are not impermeable to extreme temperatures, and every year felt like a continued struggle to make ends meet.
It was not until we built our climate controlled mushroom houses that we were able to diversify against the weather and bring a weekly supply of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to the community.
That shift helped bring stability back to the farm and allowed us to continue growing food for our community despite the unpredictable climate.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At its heart, Elemental Farm is about growing food in partnership with nature rather than trying to control it. We focus on regenerative farming practices that rebuild soil health, increase biodiversity, and create a balanced ecosystem where plants, insects, animals, and microbes all play their part.
Over the years we have grown a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and specialty crops, but we have become especially known for our gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms are fascinating organisms and play a critical role in natural ecosystems, breaking down organic matter and helping return nutrients to the soil.
Our mushroom houses allow us to grow varieties like lion’s mane, oyster, and reishi in a controlled environment, providing a steady supply of fresh mushrooms for the community throughout the year. We also reuse our spent mushroom blocks to create compost and accelerate the natural decomposition process, helping rebuild soil organic matter on the farm.
We also like to make sure the harvest does not go to waste, so many of the things we grow are turned into small batch, shelf stable products. These include herbal and medicinal teas, mushroom spice blends and mushroom coffee, salves, and even grow-your-own mushroom kits so people can experience the process themselves at home.
Education has also become a big part of what we do. Whether it is through workshops, farm tours, or simply talking with people at the farmers market, we enjoy sharing what we have learned along the way.
Our hope is that people walk away with a better understanding of where their food comes from and how small farms can work with nature instead of against it.
At the end of the day, everything we do comes back to one simple idea: healthy soil creates healthy food and healthy communities.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Start small and be patient with both the land and yourself. Farming teaches you very quickly that nature works on its own timeline, and the best thing you can do is learn to listen and adapt rather than force things.
There will be challenges, mistakes, and seasons that test you, but if you stay strong and keep learning, the land will teach you what it needs and give you abundance in return.
Surround yourself with good people, continue educating yourself, stay connected to your community, and remember why you started in the first place.
More than anything, we are proud of the life we have built together. Elemental Farm would not exist without both of us. If one of us fell, the farm would struggle to survive. It truly takes both of us to keep it thriving.
Starting a farm from scratch is not easy, and doing it while building a healthy relationship and working side by side every day can be even harder. The fact that we are still deeply in love and still chasing the same dream together is something we are incredibly proud of.
At the same time, when we look back at the land itself, it is amazing to see how much it has changed. What was once an empty, lifeless field of dirt is now full of life. Birds have returned, plants and trees are thriving, and the soil is rich and alive again.
Watching the land recover and become part of a healthy ecosystem has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
In many ways, the farm reflects our relationship. With patience, care, and a lot of hard work, something small can grow into something full of life and love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elemental.farm
- Instagram: @elemental.farms.tx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elementalfarmer
- Youtube: @elementalfarmtexas6199
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/KimKueberth
Image Credits
Kim Kueberth took all the photos
