Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has financially backed the operators of Heritage Farms after the owners of the Mandarin business participated in the One Spark crowdfunding festival.
Khan's Stache Investments Corp. made a $280,000 mortgage on July 1 to Robert and Jennifer Sanders, who operate Heritage Farms.
The same day, the couple paid $270,000 to buy the 2.58-acre Hood Road property they had been renting to grow and sell fresh produce.
Jennifer Sanders said Wednesday that in the 1980s she grew and sold produce to venues like The University Club and the Omni Downtown, but then worked in residential real estate.
Sanders said she decided in the past few years that she wanted to return to what she most enjoyed.
After searching for investors the past year and a half, she researched crowdfunding and that led to the One Spark festival in April.
The Heritage Farms project raised money to bring urban farmer, author and speaker Will Allen of Growing Power Inc. to town for a seminar on urban farming that "transforms people," she said.
She said the One Spark effort yielded a $640 share of the festival's $250,000 prize fund, but also caught the attention of Stache Investments after she submitted an application for capital investment for creators.
Khan offered up to $1 million in capital investment for the festival.
An invitation to discuss the project for 15 minutes with Jim Zsebok, Stache Investments chief investment officer, turned into an hour and, later, funding.
Sanders said the invitation, acceptance and overall happiness that followed "was like Santa Claus coming to your home and taking a picture of him."
She said partnering with Stache Investments made the purchase possible.
"They want us to succeed," she said.
The family will expand its sustainable produce business that features tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, edible flowers and more.
She said an aquaponics component will be added in the fall.
Aquaponics is a system that combines raising fish and other sea life with growing plants, where water from the creatures is used to grow the plants then filtered back to the sea life.
"It's earth technology," Sanders said, referring to the methods of urban gardening.
She said the plan is to begin the growing cycle in the fall and selling goods at a roadside stand and store, eventually targeting two dozen local restaurants to source.
The family, comprising Robert and Jennifer and their son and daughter, will operate the farm. Additional employees will eventually be brought to assist.
She said she might add five more employees, which she said was of interest to Stache Investments.
Sanders said she had not met Khan but said she thought he was looking for ways to build a foundation in the community.
"I think he cares deeply about Jacksonville and wants to see the community progress in very important ways," she said.
Khan has made several investments already, including a $1.05 million mortgage to L&J Diesel for a Westside expansion and a $3 million mortgage to assistant the purchase of the the old Barnett Bank Building and the three Laura Street Trio buildings in Downtown Jacksonville.
According to its heritagefarmsjacksonville.com website, Heritage Farms is based in Mandarin and has a goal "to provide our local community with fresh, affordable produce that is irresistibly delicious."
Under the "Coming this fall" portion, it says the farm will open a roadside stand, provide restaurant services, add an aquaponics component and offer farm tours available by appointment.
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