Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Bailey.
Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Farming is not foreign to me. I grew up helping my family sell sweet corn at roadside stands in the 80s. When my husband, Scott, and I married, we always had a garden. After a few years, we planted a few peach trees. Every year we would expand and plant more. We currently have 50 trees. Selling at farmers’ markets was never the plan. Eventually, our hobby farm turned into a summer job. We enjoy talking to and educating our customers about what we do and where their food comes from.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
There are always struggles to be a farmer. Year to year, it changes. Every year has different obstacles. We deal with frost damage, flooding, and droughts. Then you have pests, diseases, and soil health. If you are lucky, you will prevail.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bailey’s Orchard. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
We are a small farm and Orchard. We are a husband and wife team. We take pride in everything we grow. We are sole operators, so we plant, grow, harvest, and sell everything ourselves. Our biggest crops are tomatoes and peaches. We listen to what our customers want and do our best to provide. We only have what is in season. You will not find watermelon and tomatoes on our table opening day of the market because it has yet to be in season. If we can’t eat it, we will not sell it. We strive for the freshest produce. We start picking produce late afternoon, the day before the market.
Any big plans?
We look forward to doing what we do as long as our health lets us. Once farming gets in your blood, there’s no going back.
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