It’s November 9th, which means it’s our online Birthday! Today, Firefly Fields turns THREE. Three years since Virginia and Ben brought the family farm online with the website and social media channels. Even though the farm started many years before that (1979), it has been such a fun adventure sharing our story with you as we take you behind the scenes and give you a taste of what our family farm operation looks like. Each year you live to see another is worth celebrating, so to that Ben and Virginia made a little infographic to highlight some of the farm’s milestones to date.
- 1979, Archie and Mattie Jennings purchase the farm on Barryville Road with 100 hogs and an old Oliver tractor to their name.
- 1992, After more than a decade of growth and hard work, the farm sells off all the hogs (nearly 3000 that year) and shifts focus to grains.
- 2003, As soon as policy guidelines were available for the National Organic Program, the Jennings Family Farm begins transitioning to USDA Certified Organic.
- 2005, Archie and Mattie begin grinding and selling organic grains at farmer’s markets, growing heirloom varietals like Hopi blue, black Aztec, and Bloody Butcher corns.
- 2010, Honey bees move onto the landscape producing amazing crops of honey.
- 2014, Cattle begin grazing the on the farm’s landscape.
- 2018, The farm becomes Bee Friendly Certified, in addition to its Organic Certification.
- 2018, Archie and Mattie’s third daughter, Virginia, and partner Ben build and launch the farm’s website (Branded ‘Firefly Fields’ as a nod to the farm’s conservation practices) to bring the farm online to share stories, recipes, and food directly to our community or ‘farmily.’
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