Young Vegetable Grower Finds Markets, Encourages Visits To The Farm
August 6, 2013 
Brent Barnhart says farming is what he always wanted to do. The owner of Country Creek Produce Farm in Chambersburg, PA, found his passion for growing produce as a young boy, helping in his grandfather’s garden and working on different farms growing up.
He had worked on dairy farms and knew he would never have enough acres to make a go of that, so he ventured into vegetable farming. With the 50 acres his grandfather used in the ’60s, he started a vegetable farming operation from scratch. Today, in addition to those 50 acres, Barnhart also uses 250 acres of rented land. He grows field corn and wheat as well as about 40 acres of sweet corn and 20 acres of a variety of vegetables grown under plastic. In addition, some of his vegetables are started in a greenhouse to get an early start in the market.
Barnhart defines what it is to be a GenNext grower. He takes the lead on producing crops as efficiently as possible and he is striving to increase awareness about ag in general. (For more information about GenNext, go to http://GenNextGrowers.com.)
Starting Out Small
At the beginning of his venture in 2007, Barnhart says he started with $5,000 and a credit card. “I didn’t have any customers when I started and now I have three markets in Chambersburg and we deliver to those stands daily in the summer,� he says. In addition, he sells his produce to Giant Foods, a grocery chain with operations in several states.
Even as a relatively small grower, Barnhart stays on top of record keeping, traceability issues, and last year he went through the GAP harmonization audit.
He says technology is one area that has provided him with advantages, such as the use of a smart phone. “I email from the field and I’m able to do so much more at once than my grandfather ever could.�
New chemicals and equipment also have made a difference along with some marketing tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, websites, etc. “Now it is all about branding and marketing your product,� he explains.
The Agritainment Angle
Not putting all his eggs in one basket, Barnhart also is involved in the agritainment business. He has a 10-acre corn maze that is set up in the fall, and he finishes the season with pick-your-own pumpkins. In addition, this season he will debut a “pumpkin chucker,� on the farm, which is a device that launches a pumpkin about 3,000 feet.
Finding ways to get his name out there and encourage people to visit the farm was also something he had to investigate. He used Facebook and created a website (www.countrycreekproducefarm.com) to get the job done. On the farm’s Facebook page, Barnhart simply posts what’s happening on the farm through pictures, along with the produce he is selling. The website has helped increase his online presence.
“My marketing plan is to do whatever it takes to get people in here,� he states. He also uses billboards to direct customers to the farm. Barnhart keeps it simple by strategically placing large billboards that simply say “sweet corn,� the name of the farm, and a directional arrow.
This year he says he will do some radio advertising and he also tries to get publicity whenever he can by sending press releases. “I call the area newspapers and ask if they want to do something on agriculture, such as ‘strawberries will be late’ or ‘sweet corn will be ready early.’ The newspapers usually like to do a nice story about a local farmer.�
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