Episode 71: Creating Joy with Jake Hunt from Windy Brow Farms

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Episode 71: Creating Joy with Jake Hunt from Windy Brow Farms

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About Jake Hunt:

Jake Hunt is the managing partner of Windy Brow Farms, a diversified farm, orchard, bakery & creamery in Northwestern NJ. He runs this business along with his parents, tackling the unique challenges that come with all family businesses, and those that impact small farms in rural communities in a state that isn’t necessarily known for being “rural”.
After attending college at the University of Delaware, changing majors countless times (Pre-vet->Biology->Agricultural Education->Ag-Business->Pre-Vet->Animal & Food Science), participating in far too many mostly straight relationships, and…most importantly…learning how to make ice cream, he returned home to diversify his family farm. This happened initially through the establishment of a creamery, and ultimately through the expansion of the pastry program, creation of an artisan bread bakery, and addition of a coffeeshop.
Looking to the future, Jake currently plans to expand Windy Brow’s presence in the world with an expanded e-commerce operation focused on shipping bakery & ice cream products, potentially establishing a restaurant/cafe on premises, and with the pie-in-the-sky dream creation of a distillery/cidery.
Jake spent his formative years in a relatively christian, mostly conservative, passively loving family, suppressing his eventual undeniable queerness for the better part of his teens & 20s, like so many of us.
Today, while living out & proud, Jake struggles to find the balance between being an advocate & outspoken voice in the community, while running a successful business in a traditional, often hyper-conservative community in an otherwise blue state.
**Find + Work With Sofia:**
**IG:** @windybrowfarms
**Website:** www.sofiaadler.com

Full Transcript:

00:00.00

chefcarla

Hey, it's Che Carla and welcome to show up fully. This is a podcast where I share what it's like to show up for your real life if you don't know me I'm a food stylist photographer and health coach. You can find me. It's Carla gontreres on Instagram and more information in today's show notes today's guest is my friend. Jake I swear we have tried to do this podcast maybe like 10 times and Jake Hunt is a farmer and he is ah he is just such an incredible human behind Windy Brow farms and he runs it with his parents. And Jake I just want to express like at the top of this podcast that like some people go to disney our family goes to Wendy Brow like this is literally like the happiest place for us.

00:44.85

Jake

Um.

00:54.10

chefcarla

And I would love for you to introduce yourself and how you serve the world.

00:55.55

Jake

Awesome! Thank you thank you? It's so great to be here. Um, you know 3 times I think we've only tried 3 times. Give yourself some credit you know and I screwed up one of those and and you screwed up 2 of them. So it's fine. It's it is more on you than it is on me but it's fine. Ah, but anyway, it's really good to be here. Um, and great to be with you finally? Ah so I own and operate um a fruit farm an orchard a fruit orchard a farm a bakery a creamery in Northwestern new jersey with my parents. Um, we're situated on about one hundred and thirty acres in a like relatively rural community as rural as Northwestern New Jersey can get as rural as New Jersey can get really to a degree. Um and my family has been involved in this farm for about for about 25 years even though the farm has been there since the 40 s. And my family has been tied to agriculture in this town for about 300 years so you know there's a lot of family history. Um, a lot of responsibility. A lot of you know, a lot of family guilt. No a lot of you know this is this is what you're going to do and ah. And be happy. Um, but ah, but it's great and we love it and we love serving the community around us and and and doing something that gives us gives us joy and brings us happiness and and you know more stress than anyone can deal with but joy and happiness. That's what it's all about.

02:21.30

chefcarla

I Absolutely love it. I Love it and it does it brings so much joy to the people like I mean I've been to your farm I don't know how many times but I feel like it's palpable that joy and it's. Really like you can tell by everyone. That's even visiting the farm even during you know the pandemic and even during you know when people have their mass on you. You couldn't see their faces. You could still feel that joy in that I feel. Directly comes from you and and your parents and the people that work for you.

03:00.88

Jake

You know I think to a degree Yes, but to a degree it comes from what we're doing. You know people get out in nature people enjoy the fresh air people enjoy really high quality. Good products. Um, you know everybody gets happy when they see a brownie. Ah. Or or something else or or a piece of fruit. Whatever brings them joy really so you know to a degree. It's it's us, but but it's really just us existing um and the farm existing and and being there for our for our community.

03:31.94

chefcarla

It's incredible and it's incredible to be able to be in that space where you create because I feel like when we first came to the farm like maybe there was like donuts in pie and then it like grew it grew into. Ice cream it grew into pizza I Remember all the that was like my favorite time being with the kids like going for pizza night. Um, there was like and then it just like grew with all of your products So like what does that evolution look like because I've known you for. Years since the kids were babies.

04:07.47

Jake

I think for us, it's it's being able to plan for the future and plan for so many unknowns you know there's there's so much unknown when it comes to what mother nature is going to do to us. We're always at the will of mother nature. We're always at the will of climate insecurity. Um, so. You know if there's a year where where we have a a bad spring and we lose a crop then we have to be able to plan for having some sort of contingency plan. We have to be able to have other avenues of income. You know it's never going to make up the full full load that is. The fruit what that brings to the farm the pick your own in the fall. The the peaches in the summer. It's never going to make it up but it'll make it a little bit better. So that's why we started after I came home from college we started adding other like diversifications other aspects of the business that would kind of give us a buffer in the years that that are uncertain which you know. Lately every year has been a little uncertain. We're like praying. You know we're we're recording this in in early April we're like praying for the next six weeks basically to not have any sort of major climate impact. Um, and you know some years we make it out in some years we don't and you know every year anything we can do extra that. Allows us to survive. Um, it's great.

05:27.77

chefcarla

That's amazing I'm going to talk about food. What was your last meal.

05:31.31

Jake

Ah, so the last thing I ate was grapefruit Um, the the grapefruit's really hard to eat if you don't have a grapefruit spoon have you ever realized that have you ever tried to eat graperuit or the fork. It doesn't go well. Ah I was like I should have just supremed it I I you know. But I'm sitting there trying to eat a grapefruit with a fork and then eventually I just gave up and tried to juice the last meal that I ate was ah an omelet with ah bri and bacon and herbs and you know sometimes you just in my case, you give your body what it wants more than more than you probably should. But you know that that was the last meal that I ate not. Not at all healthy, but but it made me feel good although fleeting but good.

06:13.63

chefcarla

Ah, sounds delicious and yes I actually segment each My son mossimo is I don't know about what it is about grapefruits but every single time I must segment it I separate the juice like there's a whole process to this.

06:22.38

Jake

Um.

06:30.47

Jake

Well, it's a difficult. It's a difficult task you know and nobody's just like eating sections of grapefruit. So but yeah.

06:32.67

chefcarla

So I feel you on the gravefruit. It totally is. So to talk about showing up because I feel like we're told this and this is the name of this podcast showing up fully because we're told in business we're told in spirituality we're told in wellness we're told in all these different spaces to show up our relationships. But no one actually defines what's showing up is and I feel like for you as a farmer that you're going to have interesting answers of how you show up in the world and I just can't wait to hear your answers.

07:15.19

Jake

Thank you? Um, you know I think for us for for people that are in this business just just by existing is how you show up, you know? Ah, sometimes that's okay, you know people that are that are my generation meaning like millennials and younger um who are actively choosing to do this who are like. Showing up and existing in this space in the farm space doing work that that nobody else would idolize like or so far few people idolize or or maybe people idolize it but they don't want to do it. Um, you know the things that you wouldn't necessarily strive for or succeed in like you know you're you're not. If you don't grow up in this environment. You're not growing up and your parents aren't saying go out and be a farmer Ah yeah, that's not that's not the the goal that that too many people have in mind. Um, you know this isn't this isn't 40 hours a week. It isn't weekends off. It isn't having secure financial planning and having 4 and gay and paid time off and two weeks vacation. All those things that isn't this life. Um, so like by showing up and existing in this space. That's sometimes all that you really need to do? Um, you know by being committed to it. Ah, you know if it if it sounds like I'm degrading it. That's probably further from the truth than it could be I I chose this like I chose to make this my life I chose to love it. Ah maybe I haven't loved every single minute of it. Ah, um, but there are definitely been like sacrifices that make it all worth it. Um, you know I chose. To show up by being a steward of the land I chose to make this my purpose to feed people um to give things that that nourish their body and and give them things that they like get undeniable satisfaction from you know life is balanced life life can't be all kale smoothies and keto diets all the time. I'm not knocking that it's just it's just not something that you know everybody strives for um, you know so I give them balance I give them um I give them a reason to come out and enjoy nature and that's that's kind of. Enjoy this life that we've created that's kind of why I show up necessarily how I show up but just exist and do it and make it the best that that it can be.

09:42.46

chefcarla

I love that Jake I love that because I tell often it's interesting I don't know that I've told you this but I've said this on podcasts I actually am doing a video with I n and we're coming to your farm to. A video and I remember part of the video where I was interviewed. It was like there is nothing like being on your farm and having an ice cream with my kids and having the sun on my face a tablespoon. Ah.

10:13.85

Jake

Table spon a tablespoon of ice cream with your kids treat those kids carla cheese they deserve us come on.

10:24.90

chefcarla

Ah, but so Jake's referring to Jake's referring to when my kids were babies I literally would give them a tablespoon of ice cream now we're going for a scoop. We're gonna go for a scoop but I do feel like there is nothing like that feeling. Of being on the farm enjoying the ice cream and being with my family and being on your land like there is just some magic that's created that exists nowhere else.

10:54.30

Jake

Thank you I really appreciate that I think ah I think um, you know so often we don't take time to be in nature and just take it in. You know, ah, it's it's interesting. You know people call us every we we run pick our own apples at the farm. Um. And people call us every fall or or they send us messages on Facebook or or wherever it is and they ask what do you have fun for us to do what what else do you have do you have bounce houses. Do you have cow trains. Do you have all this other like entertainment I was like no this isn't amusement park. You know, get outside. Don't make yourself be constantly engaged. Like you don't have to be doing 10 things at once to enjoy the space that you're in you know, get outside breathe in walk around the fields enjoy nature eat an Apple take in the view. That's all you need to do there doesn't there doesn't need to be every every constant physical visual stimulation. Going on for for something that's supposed to be an outdoor activity that gets you out of the house and and into nature more.

12:01.66

chefcarla

I Think that's so beautiful in a way to look at being in nature being away from screens I mean obviously I'm taking photos of my children while they're doing all of the things my kids are posing. They're like oh this white wall that has cracks.

12:12.37

Jake

Obviously.

12:20.90

chefcarla

That's the perfect surface for a photo mom like okay so yes, there are. There's that but there definitely is this like I remember this I feel like it was like this fall where we climbed up you know past the Apple Orchard and you can see. All the land or I don't think we've ever done that but there was literally not a soul on the farm that day like it was us and like a couple of people in the store but we like we went all the way out and I was like wow this is incredible and this is I feel like what it's meant to be. Alive like I do feel like you provide this incredible like do you have bounce houses and all these other things do my kids need that absolutely not. But I think having that moment and having that experience and looking out like my kids will always remember that.

13:15.47

Jake

Yeah I mean that's that's what it's all about you know we could we could capitalize on the amusement park farm diversification thing. We could make 5 times what we're making now. But what's the point of it like. If. You're not if you're not just existing with with the world around you if you're constantly trying to occupy your mind and your and your your whatever your body. Um, why are you even outside. Yeah, you can do the same thing staring at a screen and playing a video game.

13:55.65

chefcarla

This is so true Jake can I ask you about showing up during the pandemic because I feel like when this is my perspective as an outsider and ah and a supporter of your farm and your store and all the things that like literally like your model changed overnight. Like it became online orders. It became you know you had some of the most sought after things you had flour you had yeast like I felt like I was being hooked up and in a really real way like and. You know what was it like to shift because I know that your community is more conservative like what was it like to shift towards mass and distancing and like all of those things I would love to know about it.

14:44.19

Jake

Ah, you know we we changed overnight because we had to essentially you know we I remember having a very distinct conversation in the middle of March with my father who is a relatively conservative person who said oh this will but this will be gone in three months you won't have to wear blah blah blah. You know the same thing you you get from from anybody in that type of mindset and I get it. He's he's changed his opinions have changed and that's that's great. Um, but we had a very real conversation where I just said you know we either are going to shut down and that'll be an indefinite amount of time. It might be two weeks we might close for two weeks the the amount of time that they were initially saying that you know things had to shut down for which we all know isn't isn't true or isn't what happened but ah or we could change our model and adapt. And see if the community rallies behind us and if it doesn't then at that point we shut down. Um, and if it does we just keep doing it and you know we we kept doing it. We transitioned to having ah pretty much a fully online pickup limited day of things available. And the community really got behind us and we were one of the first within this environment to do that because it is ah a relatively conservative community um now masks and those kind of mandates are a different story I think. We definitely had pushback as a lot of people in a lot of communities had um but we dealt with it. You know everybody was pretty reasonable which I'm thankful for you know, even though it's a conservative red county in a otherwise blue state. People are pretty reasonable in New Jersey I don't know if we would have found the same thing if we were in some midwestern or some south western southeastern state um, so everybody kind of followed the rules which was good. Um and it helped keep our staff safe. You know our staff is still masked. Um, we just. Took down our barriers this week which is which was a weird feeling. We'll see how that plays out. Um, but we're still trying to keep everybody as healthy as possible. We went an entire year of the pandemic without any staff member knowingly getting covid um, none of the management got covered. You know. And we're very thankful for that. Um, and I think that had to do a lot to do with how active we were about asking staff to wear masks asking customers to enter a certain amount of people at a time. Um, asking them to wear masks and and then following that but I don't want to do it again.

17:33.20

Jake

I Don't think anybody wants to do it Again. It was Good. You know it's not I always feel weird saying it was good for business but it was good in the sense that people wanted to do things that were outside wanted to be able to breathe in fresh air. Like we were just talking about. Didn't want to sit at home all day and we were able to offer them that kind of Avenue um during picker and season and and during other times the season people could walk around the farm walk around the orchards you know, get a little escape. So. I Think for everybody. It was a weird time but we made it through. Maybe we'll say we got some time left. Yeah yeah.

18:18.76

chefcarla

Hundred percent it could change on a dime right? I want to ask you I want to dig a little bit deeper into what it's like to be in a conservative space and to be and to be gay and to be a gay farmer and what is that like um. To be in your red county in New Jersey

18:41.92

Jake

So you know, growing up I obviously not obviously but I was not out I did not reconcile with myself that this is who I am until later in life. Um, you know until I had a conversation the night before Trump got elected with my parents about being gay. That's a. Great time to come out to your conservative parents. Ah, but ah, it's fine it's fine now. everything's fine now um but growing up I think I like like so many people that are my age so many people that grew up in this type of environment you you hid. You tucked yourself away until eventually you could figure it out. Um, now I just don't care. Ah, now you know if somebody has an issue with it. They don't have to come to the farm and support me. They don't have to buy the amazing products that everybody else that is more open minded is going to get to enjoy. Um, but there is still a little bit of guarding yourself right? There's still like a little bit of you don't want to be too outspoken. You don't want to be too much of an advocate like that's really I don't know if I can swear but that's really shitty to say.

20:00.18

chefcarla

Oh yeah, you can start go ahead.

20:01.26

Jake

Like that's okay, great. Go ahead and swear ah like it's it's never going to be ideal in this space in this community. You know? ah. And maybe that's okay because maybe we make more of an impact by trying to change people's minds a little by little or not even necessarily change. People mind people's minds just get them to be okay, so maybe they won't be a shitty human to somebody else who is gay that they meet along their path. If they see tolerance and acceptance in the space that we're creating in this corner of New Jersey that is very red. Um, then maybe they'll be impacted to be more tolerable and be more respectful. Um in their own lives. Um. That's not to say like we don't we're not saying anything. We're not not doing anything. You know we It's the little things right? So we have a hate has no home here. Sign up on our front tour. We only had 1 person pushed back on that which is great right? You know somebody somebody pushed back on on that they've really wanted hate in our in our store. And I said okay go somewhere else and that's fine like sometimes that's what you have to do like I'm not. You know everybody's money spends the same right? Whether it's conservative or or republican and it doesn't always feel good but you know I can. Can take their money and then donate it to human rights campaign or something. Ah, but ah, that's what I always say um, but we still we still do promotions for pride where we donate um like a hundred percent of of what we. Take in for creation of this pride ice cream flavor that we do we still still do other like fundraisers throughout the year where we either publicly or silently donate to charities that that we believe in that we believe are making a just difference in the community. Um. You know things with my parents when I first came out were interesting like I've been in this role at the farm essentially not to such a degree but essentially since I came home from college in 2013 so it's been eight years you know i. I've been out since I don't even remember when he was left it. That's how bad it is um, twenty sixteen right ah that's yeah I've blocked out that part in my in my mind. Um every day I have to go to work and work with the same people.

22:42.70

Jake

And still create amazing things with the people around me and there's people around me are are my parents who were who were conservative relatively Christian um individuals but they still love me in the end. Ah which you know is the right way to do it. Ah And. We still have to work together and we still have to make it work and and exist so just keep existing.

23:11.93

chefcarla

I Think that that's a thread through all of this is that you show up in you exist and that is not the easiest thing to do and I'm going to flip this and ask you and I'm interested to know what your answer is that.

23:14.44

Jake

A a a.

23:29.63

chefcarla

What do you do when you don't want to show up.

23:32.64

Jake

You know it's not always about me. It's about the people I employ. It's about the people that we serve. It's about the people who rely on this business to feed them and nourish them. Um, it's about you know, giving somebody that like. Guey gnache brownie that just gets them through their day like ah sometimes that's all it takes right? That's all the motivation you need. Um, you know it's about the community that we've built and like I'm not like saying that like my my mental health doesn't matter my like self worth. Doesn't matter necessarily my desires don't matter. But I'm saying that there's so much more in the picture than just me, you know, 9 times out of 10 if it's me not one who show up. It's me being selfish and maybe that's like how I were sort of raised. You know you have a tough skin when you grow up. Um I grew up in a. an extremely loving family and an extremely loving community um I'm not saying it was like hardship but you know you grew up on a farm and you grow up knowing that you're different than those around you and knowing that like. Who you are and who you're going to become isn't necessarily going to be accepted and like you suppress your feelings and your thoughts and you know you grew up queer without being able to put it into words um without being able to express yourself that gives you a thick skin so you know we all have trauma. Nobody's perfect. We just have to learn to live with it and and deal with it in our own way and move on you know recognize it don't suppress it but don't let it rule your life so you know if there's a day where I don't want to show up and don't want to be there then I think about those things around me and if I still. Don't want to don't want to do it then you know I'm given the flexibility that I don't necessarily have to do it. You know you have to be there to make sure it functions but you don't necessarily have to be there fully and that's. That's all right.

25:43.71

chefcarla

There's so much like so much to unpack in there Jake I feel like and I know this from from being with you and like seeing you just like mentally physically everything exhausted.

25:45.22

Jake

Are.

26:00.10

chefcarla

That you continue to show up. It's like almost like not an option to not be there except for when you're on vacation.

26:09.85

Jake

Yeah, yeah, I mean I you know very thankfully I have well maybe not so thankfully I have like two months of relatively mandated semi unpaid vacation when when you brought a farm in in this climate. So like January February are pretty chill. Um, and that's my reset time and that's always been what it's been like growing up with this I've been my family owned the farm since two thousand I've been here since I was 10 ah and I've been in this environment since I was 10 but that was like always the understanding like like you. You show up every day 100% or 95%. That's fine, um through the season through the busy season you get through it and then ultimately you're rewarded so is that great for for mental health is this therapy are we doing therapy right now.

27:05.13

chefcarla

Ah, we are not doing therapy right now but I am definitely listening. Ah.

27:05.71

Jake

That Oh no, oh damn. Ah damn all I know I know you are farmers. Don't know what Therapy is come on. Ah.

27:19.79

chefcarla

but but but I know so many farmers so I definitely I'm like laughing because it's I understand like I understand I remember and my friend rose she passed away two years ago she was ah a dairy farmer and she's like I maybe sleep 20 hours a week.

27:23.36

Jake

The ah.

27:38.33

chefcarla

And I was like whoa this is. It's just it's real. It's the real life of being a farmer and being a farmer in the season.

27:47.56

Jake

And you know pretty much all of us we choose it like some of us This is what we were born to do some of us This is the environment. We were born into some of us like me This is what I chose to now I had options I went to college for. Prevet I could have gone to vet school I Chose to do something that I thought would give my life more fulfillment and more satisfaction. Um, and it has don't get me wrong. It has but it's hard. It's never.. It's probably never not going to be hard which I've realized and I've accepted and you just go through it and do everything you can to make it worth it so Far. It's been worth it eight years in.. It's been worth it. So Just keep going.

28:49.60

chefcarla

I'm so grateful for you Jake it's just like it's just such a joy to be with you and to like your words I feel like whoever's listening to this podcast I hope that they. Really take it in and let your words wash over them because this can be applied to so many different things in so many different situations not just farming and I feel like the way that you view things about existing and worth it and really.

29:07.66

Jake

E.

29:21.58

chefcarla

Showing up for your life and for your business is such an incredible inspiration. So I am so grateful for you.

29:26.92

Jake

Thank you, Thank you I Appreciate it now come feed those kids more than a tablepoon of ice cream and get some elderberry jam or elder flower elder. What am I supposed to get for you I don't know something weird Elder bear jam. Oh gosh.

29:30.88

chefcarla

Thank you.

29:37.96

chefcarla

Um, oh elderberry Yes, my my my son loves elderber jam. It's It's just one of those things. Um, it's just it is but.

29:49.46

Jake

You're the only one that buys it. So I only order twelve twelve jars of it because she there's no way she could eat more than 12 jars in a year so it's all for you. Ah boy.

29:58.31

chefcarla

Ah, well thank you for getting us elderberry jam. My goodness is so funny. How can and this doesn't matter where anybody is how can we find you? How can we support you in the farm because I feel like you. You know you do donations during the year you also have online things so like what how can we support? you Jake where can we find you.

30:17.22

Jake

E.

30:23.69

Jake

Just anywhere you are at Windborow Farms is the best way. Any social platform windrofarms dot Com You know if you're if you're up this way come and visit us. We'd love to have you on the farm. We'd love to have you in nature.

30:38.40

chefcarla

Thank you so much. Jake thank you everyone for listening if you've liked this episode I would love if you could share it text message email posted in a story tag Jake and myself I will put all of the information about the farm and Jake's handles in the show notes I'm sending you and yours love Jake you thank you? So so much bye everybody. Thank you.

31:01.36

Jake

Thank you Carla! It's great to be here.

Episode 71: Creating Joy with Jake Hunt from Windy Brow Farms

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Episode 71: Creating Joy with Jake Hunt from Windy Brow Farms

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