Mountain Views
Outside in the access area, chickens have a view of the Blue Ridge mountains.
Room to grow
The Witmers have a prolific garden each summer with flowers and vegetables, and little helpers growing in it.
Wall flower
This chicken stays high up on the ramp and watches his companions frolic in the grass from afar.
Learning the Ropes
Hands-on learning is the best part of growing up on a farm.
Happy Dog
Rocket, the family’s Shiba Inu, loves enjoys good pets from Aaron.
Always something to fix
Harold and Aaron work on a broken gate. Farmers tend to be jacks-of-all-trades with all the equipment they require.
Generational Farming
Farming provides a simple way of life for the Witmer’s that they will enjoy for generations to come.
The Witmer family is a large and industrious group, for which farming has always been a way of life. Days start bright and early at 5:30am, and after a dash of coffee, the family steps out onto their neat-as-a-pin property in Dayton, Virginia, to tackle the many tasks awaiting them.
After feeding the chickens and other livestock, Farmer Harold spends a lot of time in his woodworking shop. Milda, Karen, and Evelyn disappear into dense, lush gardens and emerge with fresh beans, corn, and tomatoes. Aaron stays busy with his mobile welding business, and youngest daughter Katie fills her day tending her horses and working on sewing projects. The family also has their own butchery. All the while several little ones run about, barefoot and sporting a healthy amount of dirt and joy, and Rocket, the family’s Shiba Inu, lies in the shade of the pickup, taking it all in.
If you were to ask Harold what advice he’d give to a young farmer starting out, he’d say not to be tempted to buy all new equipment. “Used equipment is more affordable and works just fine.” The Witmers grow for Farmer Focus because they’re allowed to use their existing building without expensive and unnecessary upgrades, and they’re trusted to know what’s best for their chickens.
Previous Farmer
Virginia and Norman Burkholder
Meet your Farmer
why farmer focus?
We believe in farming the right way, see what the Farmers Focus difference is.
Learn More
