Montgomery native, Dale Johnson of Bridgepoint Run Farm in Belle Mead, has made changes in light of the pandemic. Seeing a jump in demand, he is growing beets, onions, potatoes, and leeks for the first time this year.
Produce is Bridgepoint Run’s smallest commodity. They mainly produce beef, and also grow hay and straw.
“Demand is through the roof,” he says. “People are realizing, ‘Maybe I should know who grows my food.’”
In the past, Johnson said he would sell about 400 pounds, or one steer’s worth, of beef in a month. In April, he sold four times that amount in five days.
“The local infrastructure can’t keep up with the demand,” he says. “Butchers are backed up into the fall.”
Johnson’s great grandfather began farming at Bridgepoint Run 90 years ago.
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Johnson, who studied agriculture at Penn State University, says climate change has impacted his business. In response, he installed two high-tunnel greenhouses, where he can start plants a month earlier without crop loss from the late frosts or heavy rains that have become the norm. ■
Related Stories: The Montgomery Farmers Market Opens June 6; Fairview Farm Business Profile.
