HVADC Client Update: Laughing Earth Farm

When Zack and Annie Metzger purchased Laughing Earth Farm in 2015, they inherited a 200-year-old farm, a 25-year-old Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and the challenge of building a sustainable agribusiness in an increasingly competitive market. Ten years later, Laughing Earth has not only survived but thrived, tripling its revenue while becoming a cornerstone of its community.

The transformation didn't happen overnight, and it certainly didn't happen alone.

HVADC Partnership Fuels Transformation

From the outset, HVADC played a pivotal role in helping the farm navigate the intricate world of agribusiness development.

"When we were purchasing the farm, we worked with the Agricultural Stewardship Association, and the director called me up and said, 'you’re going to need legal support during this farm transition,'" Zack Metzger recalled. "She told us to contact HVADC, and they'll help make it affordable."

Through its Business Technical Assistance (BTA) programming, HVADC paired the Metzgers with an agricultural attorney and covered a significant portion of the legal fees for the farm transition, which included establishing two LLCs to separate land ownership from business operations and estate planning to ensure continuity and security.

“Without that, we wouldn’t have a farm,” Metzger acknowledged.

Since then, Laughing Earth has evolved from a small operation raising chickens, pigs, and vegetables to a diversified agricultural business requiring strategic investments in infrastructure. Metzger participated in HVADC's Farm and Food Funding Accelerator (FFFA) program as part of the class of 2019/2020. With guidance received through that program, Laughing Earth secured a $41,000 New York State Grown & Certified grant (at that time, also administered by HVADC) to construct an on-farm commercial kitchen, expanding their ability to process meat into sausages and other value-added products.

“These investments have been game-changers for our business model," Metzger explained.

The partnership continues to evolve. In 2024, Laughing Earth received additional grant writing and review BTA from HVADC.

“Zack and Annie are long-time valued clients of HVADC, always focusing on the future of their business and prospects for growth,” added Mary Ann Johnson, Deputy Director of HVADC and Vice President/CFO of Farm and Food Growth Fund. “They are prime examples of how entrepreneurs have adapted to the challenges of farming, and it has been our pleasure to be a small part of their team.”

The farm now processes cattle and sheep in addition to poultry, with their house-made sausages becoming one of their most popular products. "Now that we make it ourselves and we also grow most of the ingredients ourselves, it feels like something special," Metzger noted.

The HVADC connection has been invaluable. "I think in terms of actually solving problems and making farmers' lives better, I don't see an organization that does a better job than HVADC," Metzger reflected. "They're trying to meet farmers where they're at, and they offer a number of potential solutions to problems."

Community at the Center

Perhaps the most significant transformation has been the farm's relationship with its community. For years, the farm had operated as a more private enterprise with limited public access.

The pandemic changed all that.

"In 2020, people were showing up in our driveway, asking us for food [to buy]," Metzger remembered. “We needed to find a safe way to serve the community, so we opened the store. It helped us connect with people we hadn’t known before.”

The self-serve farm store doubled the farm’s weekly revenues, yet the transformation went deeper than commerce. As Metzger explained, opening the store connected them deeply with their community.

During a community forum, a neighbor pointed out the significance of this approach. Metzger recounted: “One of my customers said, ‘Just having a space where any person in the community, regardless of who they are or what they look like, can just show up and buy some products from a local farm, is really nice. There is no judgment. I could just look at everything and leave if I wanted to.’”

When floods devastated the farm in 2021, neighbors showed up with shovels and donuts “because we were their food source and they cared and they liked us. We were all part of the same community,” Metzger said.

Metzger's commitment to community extends beyond the farm. He is the former president of the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, where he still serves as chair of the nominating committee, and recently won a school board seat on the Brunswick-Brittonkill Central School District.

Building for the Future

This same community-focused mindset shapes how the Metzgers are building their farm for the long term.

"We moved away from having apprentices, and now we only have paid hourly staff, and everybody's making a living wage or better," Metzger explained. “We didn’t want it to be the Zack and Annie show,” joked Metger. “It’s not about us. It’s about this land and the people we feed.”

Beyond labor practices, the farm has embraced both environmental stewardship and modern efficiency. They adapted to climate challenges by implementing lower-tillage practices and collaborating with the Natural Resources Conservation Service on conservation projects, including cattle fencing and high tunnels to extend the growing season.

Behind the scenes, the farm has streamlined its operations with digital tools, reducing office work from 12 hours a week to just four. “I didn’t start farming to do paperwork,” Metzger laughed. “Now I have more time to focus on what matters — production, people, and the land.”

With HVADC’s support, Laughing Earth Farm continues to grow in every sense — cultivating food, community, resilience, and purpose.

To learn more about how HVADC’s BTA services can assist farms at any stage of their business model, visit https://www.hvadc.org/business-technical-assistance.