Entrepreneur—not farmer—is the word Aaron Troyer ’15 uses when he talks about the farm that has been in his family for three generations.
“Our farm is called Glenn Troyer Farms, named after my grandfather, who moved to Pennsylvania from Nebraska during the Dustbowl,” he said. “Being from a family of entrepreneurs, I have realized that entrepreneurship, among other things, is management.”
And there’s plenty to manage on the 800-acre farm in Waterford, Pa., that grows potatoes, soybeans, wheat, strawberries and asparagus. The jobs are endless: stacking hay, selling strawberries, harvesting asparagus, grading potatoes, irrigating crops, helping in the shop, mowing, plowing, cleaning grain bins.
“The beauty of living on a family farm is that you feel like you are a part of something, because everyone contributes in one way or another,” said Troyer. As a child, he had hundreds of acres to explore. His cousin, who grew up on a neighboring farm 1.5 miles away through the woods, often joined him in the fun.
“Once we were old enough, we would walk to each other’s houses. Then, once we got older, ride four-wheelers or snowmobiles,” said Troyer. “Finally, we would just drive a car.”
Any entrepreneurial endeavor requires hours of hard work and a leap of faith. With farming, however, so many factors are out of one’s control. “Even if you do everything right, you can have a bad storm that floods the fields,” said Troyer. “Disease can wipe out entire crops. On top of that, farming can be extremely dangerous. Working around large machines can always be a risk.”
A music business graduate, he plans to pursue a career in management. He’s also considering starting a farm with his cousin.
“One thing that local businesses offer is a relationship,” said Troyer. “As I graduate and move on to the next phase of my life, supporting local business is one thing that I will be very intentional about
- Anna Seip, editor
“Our farm is called Glenn Troyer Farms, named after my grandfather, who moved to Pennsylvania from Nebraska during the Dustbowl,” he said. “Being from a family of entrepreneurs, I have realized that entrepreneurship, among other things, is management.”And there’s plenty to manage on the 800-acre farm in Waterford, Pa., that grows potatoes, soybeans, wheat, strawberries and asparagus. The jobs are endless: stacking hay, selling strawberries, harvesting asparagus, grading potatoes, irrigating crops, helping in the shop, mowing, plowing, cleaning grain bins.
“The beauty of living on a family farm is that you feel like you are a part of something, because everyone contributes in one way or another,” said Troyer. As a child, he had hundreds of acres to explore. His cousin, who grew up on a neighboring farm 1.5 miles away through the woods, often joined him in the fun.
“Once we were old enough, we would walk to each other’s houses. Then, once we got older, ride four-wheelers or snowmobiles,” said Troyer. “Finally, we would just drive a car.”
Any entrepreneurial endeavor requires hours of hard work and a leap of faith. With farming, however, so many factors are out of one’s control. “Even if you do everything right, you can have a bad storm that floods the fields,” said Troyer. “Disease can wipe out entire crops. On top of that, farming can be extremely dangerous. Working around large machines can always be a risk.”
A music business graduate, he plans to pursue a career in management. He’s also considering starting a farm with his cousin.
“One thing that local businesses offer is a relationship,” said Troyer. “As I graduate and move on to the next phase of my life, supporting local business is one thing that I will be very intentional about
- Anna Seip, editor