‘This is my dream. It taught me where all our food comes from.
The transformation of a tiny seed into a tree still amazes this young 12-year-old farmer who works hard after school to provide fresh produce for his community. His passion for agriculture started very early in his childhood and his optimistic approach to life made him a pleasant person to be around.
Meet Brayden Nadeau, the seventh grader who loves tending to the plants on his grandparents’ 28-acre farm in Minot, Maine. In an interview with The Epoch Times, the young producer recalled the days of sitting on his grandfather’s lap and driving his tractor.
“I’ve been farming all my life, probably since I was 2 years old,” he said. “In kindergarten, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, and my answer was that I wanted to be a farmer – and that’s still true today.
“I have friends who think it’s cool, and some of them even come to help me out once in a while. Others wonder why I’m doing it instead of playing video games.
Watch the little farmer at his produce stand:
(Courtesy of Marie Herrick)
The wise young man not only understands the value of food, but he’s also clear about his career goals: to one day open his own fresh produce store.
“I love farming, and for me it’s not really work. It’s my dream,” he said. “It taught me where all our food comes from. I’m pretty sure my family is proud of me.
Two years ago, Brayden decided to sell the extra produce from his family farm. He opened his first stand – Brayden’s Vegetable Stand – in 2020. The following year he bought a larger produce stand, as he wanted to grow more vegetables. He made a rent with option to buy and, in four months, he was able to repay it in full.
“It was an amazing feeling to know that I had worked hard and was able to say it was mine and it was all paid for with my own money,” he said. “I didn’t expect him to grow as big as he did.”
The farm is owned by Brayden’s grandparents, Dan and Marie Herrick, and the young man hopes to take it over one day and make it a success.
While kids his age spend hours on social media, Brayden enjoys working in the field and honing his farming skills. He works about 10 hours a day when he is not at school. In addition to feeding animals, cleaning stalls and collecting eggs, his routine work also includes managing most of the haymaking equipment.
“My grandfather mows the hay, but I do the tedding, raking and a lot of the baling of the hay,” the budding farmer said. “I pick the vegetables in the garden, I do the planting and weeding. My grandfather does that for me too.
The family made good use of their farmland: 5 acres for cows and pigs; 1 1/2 acres is for turkeys, meat chickens and laying hens; and a good 8 acres are specially set aside for Brayden’s vegetable garden. The rest of the land is intended for the cultivation of trees, which could be transformed into pastures or gardens in the future.
Brayden’s grandfather also maintains a farm about 7 miles from his home where they cultivate about 60 acres and also maintain a 5 acre field.
“We also have 2 acres of gardens on a neighbour’s land, and we maintain a field for her in return for using the land,” he added. “We also hay on neighboring properties to get bedding and feed for our livestock.”
Brayden’s stall stays open from around 7:30am until dark, and it usually takes care of everything from waiting for customers to all other farm duties. On school days, his grandfather helps set up the stand in the morning, and once Brayden gets home from school, he’ll go to the farm and do the picking for the next day.
The young farmer sells almost every vegetable you can think of: corn, zucchini, summer and winter squash, green beans and butter beans, turnips, beets, eggplant, scallions, radishes, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower , And the list continues. He also sells his grandmother’s handmade zucchini bread and a special barbecue sauce made by a family friend in Maine.
Brayden is truly a humble leader in the making; he does not hesitate to work tirelessly and always appreciates the support of others. And this far-sighted producer is simply unstoppable.
The confident young man wants to continue tending his gardens and, one day, run his own store.
“My goal is that when I graduate from high school, I want to own my own truck, trailer and tractor. I hope to have $100,000 in the bank,” he said.
“Love what you do, and you’ll never think of it as a job – and always, always follow your dreams.”
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