HillTop Greenhouse & Farms is owned, grown, and operated by Ken & Denise Prielipp and their three farming assistants (aka children). They built their farm from the soil up, opening their doors as a business in 2005, fulfilling their dream. Over time they expanded their greenhouse to 52,000 sq.ft. as well as added several garden plots on their property. During the cooler months, they are able to keep their gardens going indoors, and when the greenhouse gets too hot during the summer months, they can keep plants growing in the outdoor gardens. This enables them to produce farm-fresh produce all year round.
Both Ken and Denise come from families of farmers. Ken is a third-generation farmer with roots in Britton, MI where the original family farm is still in operation. Farming is in his DNA! Denise grew up in Romeo, MI next to her grandparents on 20 acres where she spent summers working with them on their ‘gentlemen’s farm’. But Denise wouldn’t start her career as a farmer; instead, she chose to branch out into corporate America and worked for GMAC Finance for many years. Looking for an additional stream of income, she came back to her roots and connected with local farmers she had worked for while growing up. It was while working with them that she met Ken; he was working the stand next to hers at the farmer’s market. After their first child, they made the decision that Denise wouldn’t return to corporate America, and the plans to start their own business began…
Check out our feature in the Crazy Wisdom Journal.
Farm Fresh Eggs
In 2013 HillTop expanded to offering farm-fresh eggs. Their son David started his own side business, David’s Eggs, after receiving 6 hens for his 5th birthday. He enjoyed taking care of the hens and collecting eggs. Friends and family members then began ‘gifting’ David with more girls. Now David has numerous hens and receives 1/2 of the monies for his college savings. The other 1/2 is for the electric bill!
Wondering what our hens eat? Look across our table. David’s hens eat well! Fresh greens, garden scraps, sunflower seeds, and of course they enjoy the ability to roam freely around our farm. However, come night fall they enjoy a comfortable roost for safety.
