09/06/2026
Thank you so much for asking me and for taking the time to highlight our family and 380 Farm Stand. I really appreciate it. Agriculture has been such a big part of our family for generations, and I’m proud of what my dad built and what we’re continuing to grow today.
I’d be happy to answer these questions. I think there’s a lot to be said about the difference between simply growing food and learning how to grow food successfully in North Texas. Between the heat, drought, freezes, clay soil, and unpredictable weather, you learn pretty quickly that farming is constantly about adapting.
1. How important do you think freshness and proximity really are? What
changes when produce can be harvested today and eaten by a local
family tomorrow instead of traveling through a long supply chain?
Freshness and proximity can be very important in certain fruits and
vegetables when it comes to nutrient development and taste.
Cantaloupe, tomatoes, peaches and strawberries are a few examples
of crops that must be vine ripened to have the best flavor. Once vine
ripened and harvested, these particular crops do not travel well. Yet
when harvested prematurely, it becomes quite noticeable in flavor.
Okra is another great example. You will rarely find fresh okra in a
grocery store for this reason. Allowing fruits and vegetables to fully
ripen on the vine also ensures the most nutrients being delivered to
the produce. So when possible, shorter time between harvest to
consumer is definitely best.
2. Where do you see controlled growing environments fitting alongside
traditional agriculture…not replacing farms, but helping overcome
seasonality, weather and other limitations?
Controlled environments certainly are a good companion to
traditional farming and some are currently already being used by
many today. Utilizing specialty hybrid seeds within a controlled
environment helps overcome extreme elements. Shade cloth protects
crops against extreme heat and regular plastic covering helps extend
the growing season by protecting against early frost and freezes.
3. After generations of your family growing food, what have you learned
about the difference between asking “Can this crop grow here?” and
asking, “How can we create the conditions that allow it to grow here?”
While growing in greenhouses extends the growing season for certain
crops that already grow here, it is not economically feasible to try to
create the conditions to grow certain crops, at least at the scale that
we farm. We would not, for example, try to mimic the conditions to
grow bananas or avocados. Our greenhouses add about 4 months
additional growing time for us and also allows us to start our own
plants from seeds.
4. Do you think people really understand how much seasonality,
transportation, storage and weather determine what shows up in the
grocery store…or has our modern food system make us expect every food
to simply be available all the time?
Most people do not realize how the factors you listed determine what
is available in the grocery store, or more so, the quality of those
products. Like your earlier question, seasonality and transportation
can drastically alter the taste of produce. For example, while a large
chain grocery store is able to provide cantaloupe year round, there
are going to be seasons when they are noticeably bland in taste.
My opinion would be that yes, majority of consumers have come to
expect every food to be available all the time. With that being said,
customers that are a bit older in age are generally more inclined to
know when local produce is available. These customers also tend to
hold a higher expectation for the quality of those products, rightfully so
LOCAL VOICES | Kade Copp | 380 Farm Stand
There's a big difference between talking about local food production and actually trying to grow food in North Texas.
The Copp family knows that difference firsthand.
For our next Local Voices conversation, I wanted to hear from Kade Copp and the family behind 380 Farm Stand.
Their story started with Kade's father, Keith, a third-generation grower who began with a single acre of vegetables. Over the years, that acre grew into greenhouses, hydroponics, season-extension techniques and a much larger local food operation—all while learning how to work around North Texas clay, heat, freezes, drought and unpredictable weather.
Today, the next generation is carrying that work forward at 380 Farm Stand between Denton and Decatur, providing locally grown fruits, vegetables, plants and other farm products directly to the community.
That experience makes Kade someone I especially want to hear from as we talk about producing more food closer to the people eating it.
Kade, from growing food yourselves and selling directly to consumers, how important do you think freshness and proximity really are? What changes when produce can be harvested today and eaten by a local family tomorrow instead of traveling through a long supply chain?
Your family has used both conventional growing methods and greenhouses/hydroponics. Where do you see controlled growing environments fitting alongside traditional agriculture... not replacing farms, but helping overcome seasonality, weather and other limitations?
After generations of your family growing food, what have you learned about the difference between asking, "Can this crop grow here?" and asking, "How can we create the conditions that allow it to grow here?"
Do you think people really understand how much seasonality, transportation, storage and weather determine what shows up in the grocery store... or has our modern food system made us expect every food to simply be available all the time?
The future of agriculture doesn't require us to abandon what farmers have learned for generations. It requires us to build on it.
Grow local. Adapt intelligently. Feed communities.
