We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hunsader Family a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hunsader, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
After generations of commercial farming in the Hunsader family, brothers Jared and Tyler and their father Mike were ready to invite others into the world and beauty of agriculture with them. At the time that the dream took hold in their and their wives’ hearts to start a u-pick apple orchard, Jared and Tyler were farming tomatoes at Jeter Mountain Farm. The first step in transitioning from idea to execution was in planting the actual apple trees and beginning to prepare the land for the agritourism venture we were dreaming of. Up until this point, the farm had never been an orchard, and every apple tree, peach tree, blackberry bush, blueberry bush and grape vine that guests now enjoy picking from were planted by hand by the Hunsader men. The process of planting the fruit trees, and tending to them while the fruit matured, spanned from 2014-2020. During this time, the barns on property – originally built to house horses and a riding arena – were renovated and transformed to be ready to host the guests who would someday visit the u-pick orchard. The round pen was converted into a restroom facility, the horse stalls were converted into a cider taproom and bakery, and the riding arena became the event center, market and indoor playground. In general, the steps to bring the dream to life required a LOT of work before any reward could be felt. And of course, commercial farming continued in the background to fuel the renovations required to bring it all to life. Even after the farm’s first u-pick season in 2020, commercial farming continued another two years as the business got on its feet and began to take on a life of its own. Having just completed the farm’s fourth u-pick season, sacrifices are still being made to continue to shape the business and property to be able to offer the best experience possible to those who visit us. Over time, old tomato fields were converted into additional parking lots and flower fields, barns were added onto to accommodate larger pressing facilities, our BBQ food truck and smoker were added, and dreams continue to pop up for the future. The endeavor has been “all hands on deck” for the whole family since the beginning, and we definitely believe that is part of what kept the dream alive through the years it took to get to us to where we are now.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Jeter Mountain Farm is a u-pick apple orchard located on nearly 400 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Family-owned and operated, farmers Mike, Jared and Tyler Hunsader work year round, along with their spouses, to nurture the fruits, experiences and dreams that the farm is home to.
A lineage of farming extends back in the Hunsader family for 5 generations. A respect for agriculture, creativity, and a standard of excellence has passed down through the generations, and followed them all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where this generation of the Hunsader family has had the opportunity to plant its roots and nurture their dream of Jeter Mountain Farm.
Our u-pick orchards are filled with peaches, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, pumpkins, grapes, flowers, and over 20 varieties of apples, and we take pride in striving to produce the highest quality cider and hard ciders around, created from apples grown, picked, and pressed on-site.
It is our goal to offer more than just fruit, however, and to extend the opportunity to family and friends to create lasting memories and traditions with us each fall at the farm. We offer something for every member of the family to enjoy: from hard cider, to The Orchard Coffee House, a large market, indoor playground, live bluegrass music, and the 1813 Smokehouse, we are hopeful that everyone will be able to truly enjoy their visit with us.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Having a business rooted in agriculture brings with it a very real sense of being out of control. You can do everything right, and still come up short if mother nature decides not to cooperate. Our second season open, we had a very late spring freeze and lost 90% of our apple crop. What is a u-pick orchard to do if they don’t have very many apples to pick? It was a scary season to walk into, but one of the most fruitful fuels for our creativity to date. In this year, we pivoted and ended up offering some new things to pick and new experiences at the farm that we otherwise wouldn’t have. These have become some of our most beloved experiences to this day, and we now take great pleasure in continuing to offer them each year alongside a (hopefully robust) u-pick apple crop. Challenges will come in many forms to different business, but usually there is an opportunity to pivot and grow in how you choose to handle them. We have found that some of our greatest ideas have come out of these hard times.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
We are a family owned and operated business, which brings with it many layers of challenges and rewards. Brothers Tyler and Jared grew up helping at their father Mike’s farm in Bradenton, Florida, which is where their love of farming and entrepreneurship was founded. They grew up familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of working with family, so it was not a foreign concept when the dream of Jeter Mountain Farm was launched. Working with family brings with it a familiarity and security that allows for honest feedback and communication. There is also a deep understanding of your fellow coworkers which can definitely be an asset when dividing roles based on giftedness and personality types. That being said, it can be hard to draw the line between being coworkers and just enjoying your time together as a family, and the farm does seem to invade almost every aspect of family life. There are definite challenges that come with working with family, but overall we wouldn’t change a thing and are continually grateful for the experiences and memories it allows us all to make together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jetermountainfarm.com
- Instagram: @jetermountainfarm
- Facebook: @jetermountainfarm
Image Credits
Corrine Elaine Photography