John Ringeling and his wife dove headfirst into homesteading and farming when they purchased a 30-acre blueberry farm in Chester, Massachusetts in 2013. They had been living in Boston, and were wanting a bit more space for projects, and to feel more connected to the world around them. The Berkshires seemed like the perfect place for them to achieve their dreams; it was close to the city but felt like it was worlds away.
At first, they weren’t planning on being farmers. They were weekend warriors still commuting to their day jobs and maintaining the land as best they could. But as John grew tired of his career in biotech, farm life was calling his name. And at the beginning of the pandemic, he turned it into his full-time operation.
The first two things you must figure out when you have over 1,000 blueberry bushes is how to harvest the blueberries, and what to do with them all. John hires a small group of people in the summer to help with the harvest and has found creative ways to sell his product.
The first is through a partially subsidized Farmer’s market in Summerville, Massachusetts, where they ensure low-income families can buy fresh and local produce.
The second is through restaurants in the Boston area. John found that pickled green blueberries taste like capers, and really brighten and add dimension to a dish. So, he sells them the unripe blueberries for pickling, and the ripened ones for their desserts and pastries.
You’d think that would be enough for a new farmer and homesteader, but John has also built out two greenhouses, where they’re growing chili peppers, tomatoes, turmeric, ginger, currents, schisandra berries, and so much more.
They also have a chicken coop, pigs, a whole maple syrup operation, and a honey business on the property.
John’s wife still works full-time for her corporate job, so John is largely left to tend to the land and the farm on his own.
To help him with his daily tasks, he purchased a Mahindra 2555 Shuttle from CCR Sales and Service in Essex Junction, Vermont. He then got a post hole digger for fencing, a grapple for moving brush and logs, and a subsoiler to loosen the rough mountain soil.
“As a one man show, I need all the help I can get. And my tractor has really extended what I can do. Being able to do something by yourself, just flipping a lever or two, is pretty cool.”
John’s advice for first-time tractor owners is to go as big as you can afford, and to ask questions—to your dealer and to other owners online.
“If you’ve been a potato farmer for 20 years, that means you’ve grown potatoes 20 times. Nothing you’ve done 20 times you’re an expert at.”
You can get some fresh honey and maple syrup from Wild Acres Farm through their Instagram page Instagram.com/WildAcresFarm and follow them to watch as they build their farm and land into an edible forest.
