Pennsylvania farmer finds diversification key to growthPennsylvania farmer finds diversification key to growth

Bryan Harnish didn’t know what he wanted to do when he graduated from Penn State in 2009. Having grown up on a farm he knew he wanted to do something in agriculture, he just didn’t know what.

When his father bought a 160-acre farm, he found his way back into the business by leasing the land from his father and growing crops.

Since then, he’s grown his operation to over 600 acres of field crops, watermelons, tobacco and, starting last year, CBD hemp.

It’s a lot of work running a diversified farm, but it’s given Harnish the chance to build some equity and start the formal farm transition process.

Last year I followed Harnish in his quest to grow a successful CBD crop. Throughout the year, Harnish provided updates on what he planned to do this season as well as the challenges of including hemp in an already diverse farm.

BROTHERS AND PARTNERS: Harnish partners with his brother, Chris, on running the operation. Harnish prefers to be his own boss, though, and is now including his own children in helping out on the farm.

And if you like wrestling — the kind practiced in school, not the stuff broadcast Friday nights on Fox — then you’ll be happy to know that Harnish wrestled in high school and credits that competition to making him a better farmer.

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