We asked Duplin County farmer AJ Searles why he chose to become a farmer – and how he learned the necessary skills:
Farming is all I ever wanted to do since I was a little boy. Even though my family did not have a big farm – my parents just had a few cows when I was young. I believe I caught the farming bug once my dad taught me to mow, and local farmers Mr. Outen and Mr. Baucom let me ride their combines for hours on end and answered all the questions a young boy could ask.
My farming education came from watching other farmers, working alongside them and listening to what they had to teach me. There is no manual for how to farm, and I learned everything from having good people in my life willing to share their knowledge and wisdom with me. But I think the most important thing I’ve learned is a willingness to work hard, which I got from my parents.
About the farmer: AJ Searles is a first-generation row crop farmer in Duplin County. He operates AJS Farms LLC and currently serves on the North Carolina Farm Bureau’s State Young Farmer & Rancher Committee.
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