May/June 2023 - 7

FEATURE
With no other growers within 50 miles growing
produce, Brown realized he could make some money
growing produce.
" For someone to grow something other than corn,
soybeans and wheat in this area, they consider you to be
crazy, " he said. " Sane farmers don't grow those. They
grow grains. "
Produce farmers grow food people can form a
connection with.
" Anyone in direct marketing has to be able to talk to the
consumer, " Brown said. " It's really neat being able to grow
a good product and talk with people about it and see them
enjoy it and want to come back for more. In grain farming,
you grow it, put it in a bin, load it in a truck and it's gone. "
While Brown increased his pumpkin acreage, he stopped
growing them in the late 1990s when labor costs exceeded
returns. Many other growers had entered the deal.
Make or break philosophy
Brown's philosophy is that a grower should try a crop for
at least three years. If one can't be successful in that time, he
shouldn't grow it.
Cantaloupe wasn't initially successful.
" I've never been so attached to a crop that I won't walk away
from it, " Brown said. " It has to make money. It's important
for everyone to keep in mind, especially the smaller growers,
don't be so entrenched on a crop that you keep growing it
even though you aren't making any money on it. "
Last year, Brown began watering lettuce, which he
To protect plants from wind, Brown has experimented
with growing peppers in trellises and would like to grow
more that way, but it's about labor availability.
Soil factor
Soil health is critical for sustainability. Cover crops can
help with soil if they can be worked into a grower's rotation.
Brown periodically sets aside a 2- to 4-acre section for a
year and seeds it with sudan grass in the spring. Mowing
and plowing returns a boost of organic matter into the soil.
Occasionally, if a crop comes off early, Brown will plant
buckwheat, which provides some extra organic material.
" On a small scale, it's hard to work cover crops in when you
grow intensively, " he said. " Organic matter is the key when it
comes to sustainability. Nothing is more important than that. "
Brown's family dairy farmland dates to the early 1900s.
As a sophomore in high school in 1972, he began renting
ground and later ran his own dairy farm and grew alfalfa hay.
In the 1980s, declining grains, dairy herd and horse markets
prompted Brown to experiment with vegetables. He grew
decorative market pumpkins, a hot trend then.
begins harvesting in the early spring ahead of tomatoes, via
overhead intermittent misters. The misting aids plants when
temperatures exceed 85° Fahrenheit. Automatic misting,
added this year, saves on labor.
After switching to drip tape, Brown applies half of the
fertilizer onto the pepper ground and his tunnel tomatoes
before laying plastic.
In 2000, Brown exited the wholesale market. Tight
margins and regional grocery chains' new owners not
buying locally prompted major growing adjustments. By
selling directly, however, Brown grows on a fourth of his
previous acres, but earns three times the profit.
Situated on U.S. 33, the main thoroughfare from Columbus,
Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, Brown draws many people
passing through, with some on family journeys. They tell him
they can't find such quality produce.
Earlier in his life, Brown worked with his uncles in a
fabrication shop. Those metal skills come in handy in the
produce business when he wants to modify or construct new
farm equipment.
During good years like the last five years, Brown has
learned to pay off bills and repair and replace equipment
ahead of lean times.
" It doesn't matter what crop or livestock you grow or raise, "
he said. " The really good times are the times to prepare for
tight times. "
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM | 7
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May/June 2023

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