At age 14 Jeff Brunty was served some scrambled eggs from a friend’s chickens and liked the taste so much he persuaded his grandmother to let him keep chickens at her place.  According to his dad, Ron, he spent every spare moment in the next two years researching poultry breeds and then decided to raise meat chickens.  He sold his eggs and chickens to neighbors and friends, and they came back for more.

     Now, after what Jeff describes as a “10-year journey,” he has his own farm in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and is a seasoned professional at the ripe old age of 24.    Jeff raises laying hens, meat chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, lambs, and all manner of produce at his 17-acre spread.  He uses organic methods, and all his animals are raised on pasture, with plenty of fresh grass, insects, quality feed, fresh water, fresh air, and exercise, which produces incredibly flavorful (and healthy) poultry, eggs, and meat.

     A hike through Jeff’s farm is part adventure, part learning experience.  On my first visit there, Jeff showed me around with the assistance of Riley, a handsome blue merle border collie with a penchant for his orange frisbee.  Riley and his cohort Keona, a sturdy Great Pyrenees, are key members of the farm staff.  They are responsible for running off predators like foxes, coyotes, hawks, possums, and racoons who make frequent raids on Jeff’s livestock.  Even with Riley and Keona’s best efforts, Jeff loses about 10% of his birds every year to predators, but that’s part of what comes with a commitment to pasturing the animals he raises.

     Another commitment of Jeff’s is nurturing heritage breeds of animals. The term “heritage” describes a large variety of traditional livestock breeds which were developed over time to be well adapted to particular local environments and withstand harsh conditions and diseases, making them better suited to being raised on pasture.  Brunty Farms is home to 7 deep red Buckeye chickens, a breed created in 19th-century Ohio.  Only about 500 Buckeye chickens exist, and they are the only chicken breed created by a woman.  Jeff also raises South American Arucana chickens, which lay blue eggs, and he is at work developing his own breed, the Brunty Buckeye White. 

     The black and white pigs that can be found rooting around their pasture or basking in the sun at Jeff’s farm are a cross of the Hampshire breed, one of the oldest original early American breeds.  Down the hill from the pigs is a new pasture for 11 Katahdin lambs, which Jeff drove to Iowa to select and bring back to the farm at the end of June.  Katahdins are a breed developed in Maine, with hair coats instead of wool coats.  They don’t need shearing, and their meat has a mild, delicate flavor.

     Jeff does not wholesale his meat, poultry, eggs, or produce because he likes to interact with his customers. “People need to see where their food comes from,” he says, “if you can’t see it, don’t buy it.  Don’t trust the label, trust the farmer.”  With his partner, Melanie Schenk, who does the marketing, bookkeeping, and serves as webmaster (www.bruntyfarms.com) and jack-of-all-trades, Jeff sells his products through his web site, and at the Countryside Farmers Market (www.cvcountryside.org). 

     Brunty Farms also offers a 22-week CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in which families purchase a share in exchange for a weekly portion of eggs, baked goods, chicken, and produce.  Each CSA family also receives 12 canned items and mixed cut flower bouquets throughout the season, a fresh, pasture-raised turkey for Thanksgiving, and the option to buy a side of Jeff’s pork.

     Jeff and Melanie hope to increase the number of CSA shares they offer each year and continue to expand their produce, poultry and meat production.  Along with pork, turkeys, and duck, Brunty Farms currently produces 400 dozen eggs per week year round, and 400 meat chickens per week from April to November.  Jeff plans on adding beef and meat rabbits to his livestock selection once the lamb production is established. 

     Jeff and Melanie are excited about the future of the farm, and they take things one step at a time in order to insure quality for their customers.  “I always try to plan first, get a handle on something and test it,” Jeff says.  Often success is a matter of trial and error--and pure persistence.  As I left the farm, Jeff was standing looking out over a lush garden bordered with blueberry bushes loaded with ripe berries.  He nimbly picked a handful of blueberries, grinned, and said, “ We learn constantly.  We make mistakes and just start over again.”  That commitment to innovation will make the next 10 years’ journey equally interesting for Brunty Farms and its lucky customers.

     Brunty Farms is at 2470 Martin Road, Akron, Ohio.  Phone: 330-594-7315.