For some guys when they go through a mid-life crisis, they might go out and by a sports car or a boat in their 40s. For Jason Brown, that crisis came a bit earlier and took an unusual turn toward farming.
“I went through my mid-life crisis at 27 years old,” said the former NFL center and current farmer as he recalled his inspiring story at the Bayer CropScience 10th annual Ag Issues Forum last week in Phoenix. “I looked over my life and said, ‘Jason, you’re doing something great [being in the NFL], but yet it’s only benefiting yourself.’ I felt I was being called to a life of purpose, a life of service. And I asked God what can I do to make the greatest impact on the world today. And He turned around and told me, ‘Farming.'”
Jason said he was completely surprised by the answer, but as he researched it more, he realized that everyone benefits from agriculture. His life of service is already paying off for the people whose lives he’s touching, as he just harvested from his farm 120,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, which have all gone to food banks, churches and others. In the near future, he hopes to double that amount and diversify to even more food. He said he wants to solve what he calls “food deserts.”
“People can’t go out and eat those soybeans or corn of those commodity crops,” Jason said, adding that there’s a lack of fruits and vegetables for those who might not be able to afford food they need, and he hopes others hear the same call he did to serve as a farmer.
Jason concluded that he was glad to attend this Bayer event, as it touched on a lot of different issues and helps dispel some of the myths the general public might have about our food sources.
Interview with former NFL center turned farmer Jason Brown