A Few Words about Jamie Barrett

As we start in on our eighth farm season together, I wanted to give a little shout-out to someone special. He’s the man with the plan. He’s the honcho in a poncho, the master of disaster, the market maestro, the manager of mischief, the decisive factor on the tractor, the one, the only, Jamie Barrett.

In all seriousness, though, give this man a round of applause. If you’ve met Jamie, you don’t even need an explanation, but let me try anyway.

He’s the guy with unlimited patience for the most infuriating tasks of all time. He’s the only person I know who can, on a late Friday afternoon, bring himself to go down to the field and work on “a little irrigation.”

He spends his Sundays cruising around the farm with one or more children on his knee, scouting the fields and planning out the week ahead.

He gives the most rousing and inspirational pep talks to the crew just when we need them.

He can eat more cookies than any of the rest of us, even though we try!

He remembers the names of 90% of the people he’s ever met.

He’s willing to be the one to do the worst job on the list. The coldest, the wettest, the stinkiest, the hardest, the hottest, the sweatiest. He’s out there doing it, every day.

He’s been a mentor and trusted friend to me for seven years.

And best of all, he does it all with a smile on his face and a joke at the ready.

He has worked so incredibly hard to get the farm to where it is today and none of it could have happened without him. Next time you see him, let him know.

Thanks, Jamie.