By Maria Paula Gonzales
Starting a regenerative farm in 2026 is not for the weak, but someone has to do it. Jake Engelen, Geoffrey Mandell, and Bradi Hanes, the partner trio from Coastal Pastures Farms, know it’s not easy work but it is well worth it.
The Atlantic Current sat down with two partners, Jake and Geoffrey, to learn more about Coastal Pastures Farms’ chemical-free farm stand in Delray Beach and why we should all add it to our grocery list.
STARTING OUT
Jake Engelen started Coastal Pastures Farms out of necessity, claiming that there was, and still is, a lack of clean food in Palm Beach County. Instead of waiting around for someone to do something, Jake decided to take matters into his own hands.
By the end of 2023, he had found a small lot of land that was up for lease and was selling eggs to friends and family. Fast forward to the tail end of 2026, and it’s a full-fledged farm stand and storefront.
Currently, the farm is split into two properties. A smaller, six-acre parcel where the farm store is located, and another 80 acres of land down the street. Both parcels are leased, and the goal is to ultimately buy the land.
“Personally, this journey started with me looking for clean food in Palm Beach County. Truly clean food… no vaccine, no medication, no chemical applicant of any kind. Especially no seed oils,” Jake said.
Jake and Geoffrey were in their own respective fields, working in hedge trade funds and space engineering, when they realized they were both quite unhappy. A pivot was needed.
Geoffrey was working at Space X for a period of time and left Titusville, FL, in search of something more. He moved to South Florida in 2018 and proceeded to follow a more holistic lifestyle, where he then got his yoga certification. Simultaneously, wanting to learn more about farming, he started educating himself on the food industry and how broken it is.
“I was on that journey of searching for clean food here, and I just stumbled upon the farm, looking to buy food for my family. Jake and I got to talking and I wanted to be a part of it,” Geoffrey said.
Whilst Geoffrey was learning about homesteading and farming, he met Jake. It started off with Geoffrey visiting the farm once a week to assist Jake with whatever he needed, and in return, Jake was teaching him everything he knew. Six months later, Geoffrey made the decision to “come fully on board.”
With over 100 food recalls in 2026 alone, the demand for clean food is at an all-time high.
“I think more and more people these days are starting to recognize what’s going on in our food system, and they’re searching for the same things we were searching for,” Geoffrey said. “We’ve created a really cool little community here.”
What started out as searching for clean food in Palm Beach resulted in a beautiful partnership that now provides the community with a variety of products that are all sourced by Geoffrey, Jake, and Bradi themselves.
Geoffrey says, “Everything we carry at Coastal is a mix of local small businesses that we’re trying to help boost because they have the same morals, ethics, and standards that we have.”
At the store, you’ll find everything from your daily necessities, like eggs or different cuts of meat (beef, chicken, and pork), to raw milk, organic cookies, honey, and more.
The stand also carries:
- Raw butter
- Raw milk
- Olive Oil (sourced from Morocco)
- Maple Syrup (sourced from Vermont)
- Organic skincare products
- Seasonings
- Cacao Blends
- Organic Herbal Tea Blends
- Sea Moss Lemonade
- Honey Butter
- Kombucha
- Organic and Gluten Free Brownies
- Organic and Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fresh Sourdough
- Roasted Honey Pecans
- Honey (from the farm’s beehive)
- And more!!
SOIL FIRST
The soil first philosophy is simple: keep your soil as ecological as possible so that, in the long run, you have healthy animals, which results in healthy food. Coastal Pasture Farms follow a process called ‘regenerative farming,’ which means that the farm is essentially in charge of restoring the soil’s health and rebuilding the ecosystem that is needed so that the farm can thrive. They believe soil first is the way to go.
Jake explains what soil first is truly about and gets into how helping the soil helps the farm in return: “The soil first approach is really keeping that soil ecosystem intact,” Jake said. “If you have healthy soil, and your animals are eating the weeds, your food will be really nutrient-dense because you fed them well in the first place.”
Coastal Pastures Farms believes in creating a positive environment not only for the soil but for the animals as well, which ends up benefiting everyone. The animals at the farm are living a stress-free life, improving the quality of their product.
The farm has grown a lot since its early days. In the next five weeks, 1000 hens will be joining the family, bringing their Langshan hen total to 2000. They are also planning on expanding the sheep program, adding to the six Katahdin sheep they currently have. Their goal is to get up to 25 sheep on pasture by the end of the year.
Coastal also has its own beehive, a cat, a dog, a turtle, and two Highland cows.
“We want to raise animals in the best way possible, where they have a fulfilling and happy life,” Geoffrey said. “There’s a spiritual aspect to it as well.”
Prioritizing soil from beginning to end is what Soil First is all about. When the end result is a happy farm that will provide rich nutrients to feed the community, why wouldn’t you want to support a farm that follows that ideology?
COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY
The farm stand is also dedicated to highlighting clean and chemical-free businesses in the community.
For example, they carry 12 oz. bags of coffee beans from the beloved Deke’s Coffee, located in Delray Beach and now Briny Breezes. If you go to Deke’s in Briny Breezes, you can also find Coastal Pastures Farms eggs.
“Deke’s reached out to us because they wanted to offer their customers our eggs. I had a two hour conversation with Nico, just walking around the pasture. I thought he was super passionate, and that it would be a great collaboration,” Geoffrey said.
For partners Jake and Geoffrey, passion is everything. “The economic incentive is not as important to me as the person who’s producing it, and if they are passionate about what they’re doing,” Geoffrey said.
It really all comes down to community, especially when starting out as a new business.
Not only is the beloved farm stand working with spotlighting businesses, but they are also gearing up to host a farmers market with a number of food vendors, local shopping, and live music. If you’re looking to get a sneak peek at what farm life is actually like with a side of shopping, then this is the weekend event for you.
“We feel really good about these people that we spend an enormous amount of energy understanding their goals in life, and that we’re on the same wavelength,” Geoffrey said.
Regularly hosted in Fort Lauderdale, Sunny Side Up Market tapped Coastal Pastures Farms to host an actual farmers’ market, on the farm! If you’re all about being in the farm oasis, local shopping, live music, fresh eggs, sourdough, and everything the farm stand already has to offer, then you won’t want to miss this one.
Event Details:
Sunday October 18th, 10-2pm
Saturday October 31st, 10-2pm
Sunday December 6th, 10-2pm
Coastal Pastures Farms x Sunny Side Up Market
15445 U.S. 441 South., Delray Beach
Coastal Pastures Farms’ working hours are Thursday through Monday from 10-4pm; this farm stand wants to be a part of the change for the food system in Palm Beach. Come get some free-range eggs, chemical free sour dough, raw honey, as well as different cuts of poultry and beef.
You can also book a meet and greet with the two Highland cows they have at the farm, Moofus and Sol, through their website for a ‘Highland Cow Hangout’. Book a solo tour or a private session to feed, brush, and hang out with Moofus and Sol if you’ve ever been interested in learning more about Highland cows or you’re just craving a new experience.
15445 U.S. 441 South., Delray Beach
