ALDERSON, W.Va. (Hinton News) – The steady progress of the father-daughter team of Stan Loder and Natasha Zoe, both Veterans, in running JarHead Farm LLC in Monroe County, earned them the top prize in the Southern West Virginia Business Idea Pitch Competition as well as the West Virginia Hive’s 2025 Survivor Bee of the Year award.
JarHead Farm is a Veteran-owned and operated father-daughter business founded and led by Stan, a Vietnam-era ASA Specialist-6, and Natasha Zoe, a retired Marine Corps combat correspondent. Together, they bring the discipline, dedication, and service-first mindset developed through their military careers into every aspect of their agricultural work. Their mission centers on growing healthy, sustainable American food while honoring both people and the land.
The farm specializes in heirloom and native plant varieties, co-planting, and permaculture practices, with all products grown responsibly and never GMO. Their commitment to long-term sustainability is reflected in the recent expansion of their orchard with 1,000 thornless blackberry plants—an investment that demonstrates both thoughtful growth and stewardship of the land.
Late last year at Concord University, Natasha won the grand prize in the Southern West Virginia Business Idea Pitch competition, which included cash and technical assistance to build the business. Zoe said the pitch contest winnings will be used for employee food safety training and to help other businesses fund their process controls approval (the cost of an independent lab to test a recipe and certify it is repeatable and safe to sell to the public).
At a December awards ceremony and client showcase hosted in Beckley by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority/WV Hive, JarHead Farm was named the 2025 Survivor Bee of the Year, recognizing the farm’s resilience, commitment to sustainable agriculture, and continued service to the community in the face of extraordinary challenges.
Matt Nichols, a business advisor who works with Natasha and Stan, said, “Over the past year, Stan and Natasha have faced significant personal challenges, including serious illness, yet they have continued to move their business forward with determination and perseverance. In addition to maintaining farm operations, they are developing a canning and co-packing facility that will allow them to preserve and distribute their products beyond the region. This facility will also serve other small producers who lack access to processing infrastructure, strengthening the local food system and supporting fellow entrepreneurs.”
Since its founding, WV Hive—the entrepreneurial program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority—has provided business advising support to JarHead Farms as it continues to grow and evolve.
In presenting the award, WV Hive business advisor Matt Nichols said, “The Survivor Bee of the Year Award honors entrepreneurs who demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to their mission. Stan and Natasha embody these qualities through their perseverance, service-oriented values, and dedication to sustainable agriculture. JarHead Farms is a powerful example of how determination and purpose can turn challenges into lasting community impact.”
Natasha and her father are passionate about Jarhead Farms putting a dent into West Virginia’s rural food deserts with fresh local fruit from its u-pick orchard and other small-scale fruit farmers. “JarHead Kitchen is our part in making West Virginia small-scale farming sustainable by opening up out of state markets to Mountain State producers,” said Natasha. “JarHead Farm actively collaborates with other farmers and producers, being part of the solutions, instead of treating others as competition. We share information, opportunities, and bulk buying, growing the community, creating sustainability — being the change.”
When asked what advice Natasha has for entrepreneurs thinking about starting a new business, she encouraged entrepreneurs to consider “fixing a problem with a solution you can believe in, don’t try to find customers for a product; listening to one’s customers, learning from them EVERY day; finding out why other solutions to your problem may have failed in the past; and building community; West Virginia is at its best when we all work together.”
At its core, JarHead Farm represents more than food production — it reflects service, responsibility, and resilience. With military precision and deep care for their community, Natasha and Stan bring quality and integrity to every product they create, continuing to serve their neighbors with the same commitment they once brought to serving their country.
To shop for their products or to learn more, visit www.jarheadfarms.com
