I grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, that while the town itself did not have any farms per say, there were plenty of farms in the general area. Every weekend, several spots throughout town would host local farmer’s markets. I always remember my mom bringing home fresh corn, squash, tomatoes, and string beans. Growing up I just loved the fact that my family was able to support local farmers and eat food straight from the fields. Those farmers worked hard every day to provide families like mine with fresh produce to create delicious and nutritious meals that weren’t processed. Now with my own family, I try to keep up with that same practice… supporting our nation’s farmers! This is exactly why I was super excited to learn about America’s Farmers!
Browsing the site I loved checking out all the information provided, especially the various programs and the profiles on America’s Farmers families! I was most excited to learn about the Haynie family as their 147 year old farm is located in Reedville, VA, neighboring my State of Maryland.
The Haynie farm dates back to 1867 when PJ Haynie’s great-great-grandfather, Rev. Robert Haynie, purchased 60 acres of land. I absolutely love that their farm is quite family oriented! When hearing PJ discuss his family’s land, you can hear the sense of pride that he is able to drive his tractor along the same rows of crops in which his great-great-grandfather used his mule and plow.
Today, the farm as grown to a couple thousand acres. The Haynie Family grows corn, soybeans, wheat and barley. They manage the farm as a family. Farming isn’t a job for the Haynies, it’s a way of life. Everyone pitches in and has their own role, even the children, in creating this functional farm.
While learning more about the Haynie Family and their farm, I absolutely love this quote from PJ that I cam across… Their goal to feed the world is absolutely admirable.
“We, the American farmers, feed the world. We contribute to the global food supply. Food, fiber, textile, so many things. Our products, here in this rural county get shipped all over the world. So many other countries benefit from the corn, wheat and soybeans that we raise.” – PJ HAYNIE III
Learning more about the families behind the farms over at America’s Farmers has inspired me even more to purchase fresh produce from local farmers. These families work hard to grow crops to sustain not only their way of life, but to improve the nutritional value of meals to families across the nation.
Want to learn more about America’s Farmers? Check out my America’s Farmers Pinterest board that includes a variety of delicious recipes created with the crops and produce grown by our farmers across America.
How have America’s Farmers inspired you and your lifestyle?
This post was created in partnership with America’s Farmers. All opinions are my own.
That’s so great that you can learn about specific farms and the families that run them. I don’t think enough people think about where their food is actually coming from.
I love what you are doing! I’ve always wanted to try my hand at farming! They take so much pride in their work.
It is so important to learn more about where I’m food comes from. I’m looking forward to looking at those recipes for some inspiration in my kitchen!
My dad and brother have a little farm (just for their own food) so i’ve always been familiar with the basics of farming but i’d love to meet a commercial farm where they actually do it for a living, I bet it’s quite different.
Where would we without farmers! They give so much of their life and heart to the food they grow and we all should be more thankful for that! Awesome share!