*Ian Love (left) and Christian Shute (right), Founders of Oak Collective*

By: Andrew Partridge, Raleigh City Farm Marketing & Communications Volunteer & Editor

Meet Ian Love and Christian Shute, founders of local Raleigh business, Oak Collective. These green-minded, vertical farming visionaries are using their fresh, micro-controlled greens and vegetables to fight back against the many harmful processes used in mass food production. As some of Raleigh City Farm’s newest collaborators who share the Farm’s resources, including greenhouse space, water and electricity, the two are excited to cultivate their ideas of sustainable agriculture and help promote the Farm’s mission of a healthier Raleigh community.

Founded in October 2020, Oak Collective began as a passion for growing microgreens and doing so with the smallest footprint possible. Recognizing how much food is transported from far-away places using pesticides and other preservatives as part of the mass food industry chain, Oak Collective’s vertical farming model eliminates the use of transportation and pesticides from their growing process. Outdoor agriculture often requires large bodies of land and resources to combat insects and the natural elements, and by comparison, vertical farming uses a much smaller footprint to achieve this goal. Using closed environments removes the need for pesticides, while also enabling levels of light, humidity and water to be controlled at a ‘micro’ level.

Oak Collective is excited to keep expanding their product offerings alongside the growth of their spring crops, with plans to including spicy salad mix, kale, pea shoots, sunflower shoots, broccoli, lemon basil, radishes and cabbage. The team says they are looking to expand into even more produce, such as hydroponic lettuces and edible flowers, as they continue to find guidance from the needs of the Raleigh food community. Part of their collaboration with Raleigh City Farm will be a selection of Oak Collective crops for sale at the Pay-What-You-Can Farmstand opening on April 20th from 4-7pm.

The duo’s first experience working with local food businesses began at Em’s Catering in Cary, where they had to quickly learn how to adjust to and meet the demand of supplying product to a successful catering business. Another main product for Oak Collective is microgreens, delicious superfoods that are nutrient-packed and concentrated with vitamins and minerals. Even better, microgreens are easy to grow with a small footprint and featured in many fine cuisines, adding unique and complex flavors to meats such as steaks or salmon. Even wedding cake season can drive demand for microgreens thanks to the complementary flavors of mint and basil.

Shute and Love share that some of their most successful marketing started through word of mouth and reaching out to restaurants to provide samples and share their vision. They say organizations like Raleigh City Farm encourage them thanks to their shared core visions of healthier communities and providing their edible offerings. Spending time at the Farm volunteering has been another great opportunity to engage with the community, and sharing knowledge with Farm Manager Maria has been mutually beneficial with growing techniques learned from both sides.

As their business continues to reach new markets and opportunities, thanks to a growing presence in the community, Oak Collective says this is still just the beginning. Their focus on continuing to reach people is guided by a sense of real satisfaction that comes from providing healthy and sustainable foods to the community with their vertical farming method. As with the microgreens themselves, Oak Collective looks forward to seeing what big things can come from small beginnings as they prepare for a new season of community activities and opportunities.

To contact or learn more about Oak Collective:
Oak Collective (@oak_collective_) | www.oakcollectivenc.com

Partner Spotlight: Oak Collective

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