Morning Harvest Produce

Brenda Hash wanted a “you-pick” strawberry patch but not much land, and knew her son Keegan, then a teenager, had a curious mind. The mother-son team brainstormed about a way to grow plants without soil at their disposal. The answer? Hydroponics and vertical growing. Their research and creativity became Morning Harvest Produce now in its 16^th year of operation in Hardinsburg, Indiana.

Their family business truly started from scratch, creating their own system for growing strawberries and produce. “Using a home-built system to keep the budget low, at first we grew strawberries, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce,” Brenda says. “The project had a huge learning curve and we made many mistakes.”

She tells the story that the first time Keegan went to sell strawberries at a farmer’s market he wasn’t even able to make it to the stand as people were eager to buy the berries. “People began calling us, wanting more berries, and we realized we could turn this into a business,” Brenda says. A successful business was born and today you can find Morning Harvest Produce in 79 retail facilities as far south as Lexington, Kentucky, and as far north as Westfield in the Indy metro. Their produce is sold in Kroger, Meijer, and Whole Foods stores.

From the start, the Hashs knew they had a lot to learn and turned to experts like Purdue Extension to help them navigate the food safety regulations needed to be able to sell into retail markets. “We talked to other growers as well as professors trying to learn as much as we possibly could,” Brenda says. “It was fun doing something totally different with the hydroponics, it was hard to find information and supplies 15 years ago,” Brenda says noting this type of production is getting more popular now.

Their process starts with water coming into the greenhouse and being filtered through systems that turn it into purified drinking water quality. “We add our mix of nutrients back into the water which provides the exact minerals that the crop needs,” Brenda explains.

They grew their business scope based on customer demand. “We did something most don’t do, we built our business as our customer base grew, doing the work ourselves,” Brenda says, noting that Keegan built their systems and did all the plumbing, electric and wiring work. In fact, Keegan used his hydroponics knowledge in his 4-H and FFA projects to not only learn more but also educate others, winning several FFA awards along the way.

They bought their first commercial system in 2012, also purchasing a used greenhouse they took down and put back together at their site. Then in 2016, they purchased another greenhouse that was about 8,000 sq ft and moved it to a site that is now the home to Morning Harvest Produce. With continued growth came continued need for space and in 2020 they purchased an additional 12,000 sq ft of greenhouse space as well as built their first building.

In deciding on which crops to grow hydroponically, they landed on lettuce and herbs. “In 2026, we’re growing several varieties of lettuce, plus basil, thyme, and cilantro,” Brenda says. “We discovered our niche and there is good demand for our high quality products.”

While their first route to market for their fresh products was at farmers’ markets, a friend connected them with a buyer at Kroger who was instrumental in helping them get their produce into stores. Brenda and Keegan lead the business, with help from Keegan’s wife, Adriana, as well as six full time employees, six part-time employees as well as high school students who help as available. They still handle all their own deliveries, ensuring the products look good when they arrive at stores.

While Brenda’s husband has passed away, her other children all play roles in the business. Oldest son Kyle has helped from the start, even being the initial delivery driver and daughter Kala Jenkins helps in numerous ways including making finance connections. Son Kelby has expertise from his job to solve ventilation issues and is always there to help in any way he can.

One might think growing plants in a hydroponic system uses a great deal of water, but Brenda shares that their water bill is $150 a month as they focus on conserving water. “We’ve been told that the amount of water we use equals that of a 700 acre row crop farm - and realize that type of farm only gets one crop a year as they grow in soil plus have many weather variables,” Brenda says.

With all their crops being under a roof, they can control the environment exactly. It takes six weeks to get from plant setting to harvest, giving them the ability to pivot quickly as situations require. To give an ideas of scope, they harvest 5,500 heads of bib lettuce a week, as well as equal amounts of basil and leaf lettuce.

Their “curious minds” continue to explore innovative ideas for their produce, like salad kits and “grab and go” readymade salads. “We developed our own salad dressing and several of our Indy retailers wanted to try our salad kits,” Brenda says, sharing that they do their kits by hand vs. spending money on packaging equipment.

Last year, they were pondering a way to give people a fresher option for lunch that is convenient. “To keep our costs low, we made our own vending machine from coolers we purchased at retail auctions, and refurbished with a tablet for self-service,” Brenda says. Because they sell bulk lettuce to local school systems, they had relationships to have their vending machines in schools as well as a local REMC office where they can get feedback. “We are learning what people like,” she says.

With years of learning under their belts, the Hashs share their knowledge in a variety of ways from speaking to groups like Master Gardners and working with 4-H clubs and even helping a local FFA chapter start a hydroponic program.

The future remains bright for Morning Harvest Produce as consumers want fresh and convenient choices. “We’ll continue to evolve as our customers do.” Brenda says. As the family thinks about what comes next, Brenda says “Never be afraid to think outside the box. You never know where it will take you!"