Hoot & Harvest celebrates the joys of front-yard farming

Hoot & Harvest has created quite the stir at Gulfport’s Tuesday Fresh Market, where crowds eagerly line up to purchase its farm-fresh eggs and locally-grown produce before it sells out.

Launched by partners Anne Gloeckner and Joe Morris just two years ago, Hoot & Harvest is a vibrant urban front-yard farm located less than two miles from the Gulfport market. The company is rapidly growing its reputation as a purveyor of locally-grown, seasonal produce with a focus on community and connection.

It started as a modest operation intended to feed the couple and has quickly grown – both figuratively and literally – now spanning a plot of nearly 4,500 square feet of yard space and serving hundreds of community members who crave their healthier, lower-intervention produce options. The produce shifts seasonally, but a few current offerings include collard greens, daikon radish, bok choy, two different kinds of broccoli, and kohlrabi.

While they always had a passion for growing, a chance conversation with a front-yard farmer in New Port Richey opened the couple’s eyes to the possibility of taking the leap into urban agriculture and growing their own food supply. Inspired by her grandmother’s Victory Garden during World War II, Anne started a small plot during the Covid-19 food shortages, overhauling her front yard to grow enough produce to feed their household.

When a neighbor approached them and offered their front yard as additional land to cultivate, Gloeckner and Morris decided to dive in, leaving behind their jobs in the veterinary and electrical fields and becoming full-time farmers.

The duo behind Hoot & Harvest reject the notion that they have green thumbs; they’re proud of the work they’ve put into learning the skill of farming. “Do you know how many plants I’ve killed?” Gloeckner said, laughing.

She followed up with encouraging words: “You can do this too, and it’s minimal money. It’s time, but you don’t have to do it on such a large scale. You can do it in a small plot of land and feed your family. It’s important … it’s an equalizer and a connector.”

They both assert the accessibility of urban gardening for everyone, and underscore the importance of reconnecting with food and the community around food. 

Added Morris: “I want everyone to do this. We don’t do classes; it’s free. Come talk to us. We’ll tell you exactly how we do it.”

Community and connection play are driving forces in the Hoot & Harvest ethos. The farm has had a “great reception from the community, and [we’ve] met so many more people, because that’s really important to know your neighbors,” Morris said. “That’s been a huge thing for us.”

When asked about the biggest surprise from their farming business, they both paused and appeared to get a little emotional. They agreed that the appreciation they feel for the community that supports them is what keeps them going. Gloeckner: “I guess it would be giving gratitude back to everybody who does come purchase from us. We appreciate the business because they do literally keep us growing, and we want to keep growing because … Joe and I’ve never worked jobs with pensions or retirement plans. This is something we can do for a long time to keep us going; this is our retirement.

“And we enjoy doing it. It’s nice to bring this to the community. I’m proud when we bring this to market.”

Hoot & Harvest can be found weekly at the Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., on Facebook, and on Instagram.

Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market. Photo: Visit Gulfport.