Eric Freeland’s Farm

Wellsburg, West Virginia

You need to think about where your food comes from.”

-Eric Freeland

Farm Name: Eric Freeland’s Farm

The Farmer: Eric Freeland

Farm Location: Wellsburg, West Virginia

Miles from the Public Market: 12.2 miles

Size of the farm: 8 acres

What do you produce?

Red Berries
Black Berries
Golden Berries
Strawberries
Everbearing Strawberries
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Kennebeck Potatoes
Cantaloupe
Beets
Cucumber

What product from your farm are you most proud of?

Berries—because they are some of the hardest produce to grow. The ground needs to be prepped a couple of years before you can plant and it took me 20 years to have it completely figured out. What not to do, what to do. No one else in the North Panhandle is growing strawberries – it’s a lot of labor. They require a lot of work, runner pruning, and it takes several years to return a profit.

Why did you become a farmer?

My grandparents were cattle farmers and I loved being around the farm and the work. I switched to berries because unless you’re going to be massive—you’re not gonna make a living at beef cattle. I also had some injuries over the years and working with cattle—all the equipment, baling hay—it’s hard on you. Not that this isn’t hard on you, but you can handle the berries one at a time. I’ve always liked the concept of growing berries. We had a patch when I was a kid so that probably is part of it.

How would you describe your farming philosophy?

Well, it all comes down to the foundation of the soil. It’s not about how many chemicals I know how to use or any of that. If you have a ground and you set a good foundation, if you don’t crowd your stuff, let them dry off—your produce is going to generally be disease-free. Building the soil up and getting high-quality nutrients is the key—high-quality organic matter in the ground and the plant will take care of itself if you give it the right tools.

What do you love most about farm life?

I’m my own boss, I like the satisfaction of doing my own thing. If I wanted to sleep in—which I never do, but if I want to—I could.

What do you love the least?

The return really. If you set down with a pen and paper too much you would probably quit farming. It’s hard to be really profitable—no matter how much you do. And you’re always at the mercy of the weather. We’ll have too much rain or it’ll be too hot. You can’t control the elements.

For more information about Eric Freeland and his produce—or to contact him—click here

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