FRANKFORT – What began with a simple question — “why can’t we give it all away?” — has grown into a multi‑county nonprofit that now pairs free, hydroponically grown produce with cooking classes, counseling services and a popular Friday night pizza operation south of Frankfort. Evan Overbay were guests on WILO 96.9 FM and Boone 102.7 FM’s Party Line Talk Show recently.
Highland Heights Foundation, founded by Evan and Autumn Overbay in 2019, started by donating all of its greenhouse produce to local food banks and pantries and has since expanded into Boone County with a new counseling office in Lebanon and plans for a Frankfort location in the coming weeks.
From Farmers’ Markets to Giving It All Away
Overbay said the idea for Highland Heights grew out of years of selling vegetables at area farmers’ markets and handing off whatever didn’t sell at the end of the day.
“We’d give this food away, but let’s be honest, after six hours sitting out in the sun, it’s not looking the best,” he said. “We just hate that thought that we’re not giving our best.”
In 2019, the family stopped selling at markets, created a 501(c)(3) and committed to donating 100 percent of the produce grown in their hydroponic greenhouse to area food banks and pantries, which handle all distribution.
“Our original goal, and it still is, is to give everything away for free,” Overbay said. “If I won’t eat it, I don’t serve it.”
The farm now operates a greenhouse roughly the size of one acre, using hydroponic systems to grow primarily leafy greens in water instead of soil, shortening the growing cycle for crops such as lettuce and allowing year‑round production.
Three Focus Areas: Food Access, Education and Mental Health
As the farm operation matured, the foundation’s mission broadened.
“We exist as a social service to our community,” Overbay said, describing three main areas of focus: food access, food education and mental health.
The food access work centers on supplying fresh produce to food banks, while the education arm offers seasonal cooking and nutrition classes on topics ranging from basic food skills to pizza, barbecue and jam‑making.
This year, Highland Heights launched a counseling agency, with its first office opening in Lebanon in January and plans to open a Frankfort office within the next four to six weeks. Licensed mental health practitioners will provide grief, trauma, family and individual counseling, including services for children.
“We’re just now launching our counseling agency and center,” Overbay said. “They’ll be doing a little bit of everything.”
Counseling information and self‑booking are available through a linked site at highlandheightscounseling.com, accessible from the main foundation webpage.
Natural Practices: Ladybugs, Bees and Hydroponics
Highland Heights emphasizes natural production methods. The greenhouse is managed without chemical sprays, relying instead on beneficial insects.
“Bugs are always an issue, so we use ladybugs to help combat some of those little aphids,” Overbay explained. “We’ll release about 20,000 ladybugs at a time about twice a year.”
Because the greenhouse cools in winter, the ladybugs must be replenished regularly. Outside, the farm uses honeybees to pollinate tomatoes, peppers and wildflower areas, also producing honey at the end of the season.
Overbay said the family’s preference for minimally processed and organic-style food is driven by concern about chemicals in the food supply, though he acknowledged the practical challenges large farms face. “We are a small operation,” he noted, adding that hydroponics have made small‑scale production more viable.
‘Pizza With a Purpose’ at The Silo
To help fund the nonprofit’s work while keeping produce free, the Overbays operate “The Silo,” an outdoor, wood‑fired pizza restaurant built into a converted 45‑foot grain bin at the farm, 1215 E County Road 650 South, Frankfort.
The Silo opens Fridays at 5 p.m. beginning April 17 and operates until sell‑out, drawing around 200 customers on a busy night, many from two hours away.
“We started off offering barbecue and pizza,” Overbay said. “Now it’s me and an employee and my family…we serve about 200 people now on a Friday night, and we always sell out.”
Pizzas are cooked in a wood‑fired oven at more than 1,000 degrees in about 90 seconds. Dough is made in‑house from imported Italian “00” flour, and tomatoes for the sauce are also sourced from Italy.
“It’s very clean and easy on the stomach,” Overbay said, adding that many customers who typically avoid gluten report they can eat the pizza without difficulty. “We follow the traditional Neapolitan recipe for the most part.”
The couple’s three children help run the operation — two directing parking and their 13‑year‑old daughter handling the register — as part of what Overbay describes as an intentional effort to teach business and money skills.
He offered this advice for others considering a small business: “Perseverance and don’t give up. Things just don’t happen overnight…If something’s not working, change it. Be able to pivot.”
How to Support and Learn More
Residents can support the foundation by dining at The Silo, volunteering, or donating directly. Overbay emphasized that greenhouse operations remain costly even as all produce is given away.
“The restaurant is one area where if you can come out and support, you get some good pizza and then you also help support our mission and what we’re doing on the farm,” he said.
Details about the farm, produce program, cooking classes, counseling services and pizza nights are available at highlandheightsfoundation.org, and updates on Friday night sell‑outs are posted at facebook.com/HighlandHeights.
