Brad Harrod and his wife Melissa Harrod, of Brad Harrod Farms in Hermitage were named the 2023 Bradley County Farm Family of the Year. Brad and Melissa have six children in their family: Emily Rippy, Sarah Briscoe, Whitney Jolley, Braden Harrod, Olivia “Sassy” Harrod, and Jensen Harrod.
Along with Brad Harrod Farms, they also run Hermit Corner Produce in Hermitage. Their fresh produce is self-marketed to retail vendors, local restaurants, grocery stores, and individuals. Produce is sold and shipped outside of Arkansas to locations in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee through the farm’s wholesale and retail vendors. Through an expanding social media presence on Facebook and Tik Tok, they are also able to promote their goods online.
Brad Harrod Farms has been farming and growing produce for 36 years. They operate 94 acres on their farm.
A variety of crops are grown. Tomatoes (seven acres), watermelon (eight acres), cantaloupe (one acre), squash (one acre), cucumbers (half acre), peppers (five acres), and pumpkin and gourds (40 acres) are the list of crops grown annually. Flowers are also grown and sold annually from April to June and September to October.
The produce and flowers grown are marketed in the self-owned “Hermit Corner Produce” in Hermitage. The 4,000 square foot market allows the Harrods to supply local and visiting individuals in a convenient location. The Harrods said they pride themselves on providing a clean, enjoyable shopping experience, as well as providing quality fresh produce to the community.
“I love when [the produce] is finally ripe,” said Brad Harrod. “With the produce stand, people come in and it’s those first tomatoes they see, they ‘ooo’ and ‘aaahh’.”
The Harrods originally purchased the produce stand building for Melissa Harrod to use for storage.
Brad Harrod Farms has accomplished some of their goals they have for their farm as well as working towards others. They stated their primary goal for the farm is to produce the highest quality product, while also maintaining the lowest negative impact on the environment. They also hope to create a positive impact wherever possible. The Harrods installed animal proof wire fencing around the farmed acreage. Doing so has improved their quality and yield of the crops, decreased environmental contamination, while simultaneously eliminating 99 percent of deer and feral hog damage.
Running a farm caused many challenges, some which the Harrods said they have overcome. Along with the animal fencing, they installed larger wood burning heaters and extended interior vent pipes that has minimized labor from multiple loadings. It has improved heat distribution and minimized heat waste. These changes have eliminated the need for propane or natural gas heaters. Drilling wells and using drip irrigation has also eliminated the threat of water shortage, as well as improved distribution and reducing water waste. There are also 12 honeybee colonies maintained on the farm to improve pollination on flowering crops.
Brad Harrod commented not a lot of young people are farming.
“It kinda worries me,” Harrod said.
Brad Harrod Farms has future plans for the year. They plan to install a cooler system in the fresh market location to extend the shelf life of their produce. There are also plans to expand their greenhouse lot to accommodate a retail vegetable plant production program next year. The Harrods also plan to install an automated watering system throughout the greenhouses to decrease labor and improve quality and uniformity of the plant growing conditions.
Protecting the environment is important to the Harrods as they run their farm. Some of their solutions include decreasing water and heat waste with drip irrigation, improved vent pipes, and decreasing soil erosion with black plastic mulch. The farm also benefits the local ecosystem with the introduction of bees to help support wild plant life, as well as their crops and contribute to the growth of the local bee population.
Brad Harrod is a third-generation farmer and was raised on the farm from a young age. He contributed to his family farm more during his high school and college years. He became a full partner in the family farm at the age of 22.
After graduating high school, he told his father he didn’t want to farm anymore and wanted to become a veterinarian.
During that summer after his first year of college, he had a change of heart.
“I told my dad ‘I don’t think I want to be a vet anymore’,” Harrod added.
Brad and his twin brother came back and worked on the farm and have stayed since 1987.
His first crop came in 1988.
“I tell people a lot of times, that it’s not about the money because you don’t get rich from [farming],” Harrod stated. “For the amount of hours, you actually put in, you don’t actually make much if you put a pencil to it. But I love growing stuff and seeing it grow. I experiment with new varieties and doing things a little differently all the time. If I had a billionaire that would sponsor me and not worry about it, I would just do it for the growing and give it away.”
Harrod said farming is not easy, but it is rewarding.
The Harrod’s children also help with the farm. Their daughter, Emily Rippy, is married to Dillion Rippy. They reside in Warren. However, she works on the farm and manages the day-to-day management of the Hermit Corner Produce market. She and her husband attend New Life Church in Monticello.
Their daughter, Sarah Briscoe, married to Wesley Briscoe, resides in Baton Rouge, La. with their son, Beckett who is six years old and daughter Camdyn, who is four months old. Sarah is a stay-at-home mom and handles the farm’s marketing on Tik Tok. They attend Live Oak Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.
Another daughter, Whitney Jolly, is married to Seth Jolley and live in Warren. She has one son, John Michael, who is four years old. Whitney is a nurse at Bradley County Medical Center. She and her husband attend Grace Cowboy Church in Warren.
One of their sons, Braden Harrod, attends the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and is seeking an ag-business degree. He is a member of the Honors college and serves as the recruitment chair for Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. He plans to open a fresh market location of his own in Fayetteville this year.
Their daughter, Olivia “Sassy” Harrod, is a sophomore at Hermitage High School and is a member of the honor roll. She participates in competitive dance for Monticello Dance Academy, basketball, softball, and is the captain of the cheerleading squad. She is a member of Union Hill Baptist Church. During her summer break, she works at Hermit Corner Produce.
Their son, Jensen Harrod, is a third grader at Hermitage Elementary School. He is on the all “A’s” honor roll. He plays pee wee football and basketball for the Hermits and travel baseball for the South Arkansas Travelers out of Monticello. Jensen enjoys helping in the greenhouse and at Hermit Corner Produce. He is a member of Union Hill Baptist Church.
Brad and his wife have been married for 20 years. She has worked as a dental hygienist for 23 years. Brad said she is the backbone of the family and the glue of the farming operation. In between her regular working hours, she helps everywhere it’s needed ranging from picking up supplies to planting the field.
Harrod has been on the Farm Security Administration (FSA) County Committee for nine years, co-president of the Hermitage Booster Club for one year, and pee wee football coach for eight years.
Melissa has been co-president of the Hermitage Booster Club for one year and is a member of Union Hill Baptist Church.
Hermit Corner Produce is located at 204 U.S. Hwy 63 in Hermitage. You can visit and see the variety of produce they have available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
