Roper's Story

“Boy you remind me of your Grandfather”, my mother would say. Although I never had the chance to meet him, it is amazing how I have acquired so many of his attributes. My Grandfather & Grandmother were sharecroppers in Arkansas. My mother and her siblings grew up working on the farm, growing their own food, raising their own meat and preserving their harvest. Even though the lived on the land they were farming, the did not own it. It’s always been a passion of mine to be in the outdoors whether it be gardening, fishing or camping. However, one of my greatest desires is to have my own farm with my own fruit tress. In 2019 I put my Dream into Motion. On my friend's 19 acres in Arkansas, I began my pasture raised chickens and hogs farm. After the first year of raising and selling my own meat I was hooked, it was the joy of my life.    

 

 

Then came COVID. I paused my operation in AR to come back to my Native state, my beloved New Jersey to be with my parents as the world was being flipped upside down. During that time, the farm I had started in AR succumbed to unfortunate circumstances as a result of a fires and subsequent theft of farm equipment. I was devastated with the lost and decided it was time to refocus.

Since I was back home for a while due to COVID I took it upon myself to plant a couple fruit trees at my parents house and started canning. I never knew canning was another attribute that came from my grandparents. Many people loved my Jams and Jellies and encouraged me to sell them. Well, a couple of years later and here I am, making Jams and Jellies. The goal is to ultimately get back to farming on my own land and grow my own fruit trees.