Fresh. Local. Family.
“Being fresh, growing local and embracing family” is the mission of Gritt’s Farm, a multi-generational farming operation and agritourism venue located in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. The farm offers fresh produce, plants and a variety of seasonal events and on-farm experiences for the local community.
Established in 1927 as a dairy and produce farm, Gritt’s has evolved over the decades, but its commitment to family and high-quality products remains unchanged. Today, Bob is the third generation to run the farm, with his sons Bobby and Brad actively involved as the fourth generation.
Following the passing of Bob’s father, Lee, in 1986, Bob took over the operation. At the time, the farm focused on greenhouse flowers and tobacco, but Bob made the decision to stop growing tobacco and expand produce and flower production. To help promote flower sales, he started a small pick-your-own pumpkin patch – which marked the beginning of the farm’s now-thriving agritourism ventures.
Today, agritourism continues to be a key aspect of Gritts’ business. Each season brings something new. Spring features a tulip festival with greenhouse-grown flowers and vegetables. Summer offers field-grown produce, flower picking and farm-to-table dinners. Fall brings the popular “Fun Farm” to life with a corn maze, pumpkin patch, apple cannons and more. Winter will soon offer new experiences on the farm, with Christmas trees planted and first harvest expected in the coming years.
In addition to seasonal events, Gritt’s Farm grows produce using both traditional and hydroponic methods. They offer over an acre of hydroponic tomato production, growing red, cherry and heirloom varieties. Outdoors, they grow more than 100 acres of crops including cantaloupes, cucumbers, squash, cabbage, green beans, strawberries and pumpkins. Each year, 5-10% of their production goes to the wholesale market, while the rest is sold directly to consumers at local farmers markets, roadside stands and at the farm.
Overcoming Challenges
Bob shared that keeping up with the times and continuing to evolve has been challenging for Gritt’s Farm.
“Change is hard, but a business has to adapt to succeed,” said Bob.
While automation has helped streamline parts of the business, labor remains a critical need, especially during peak seasons.
A Dedicated Partner
Bob is appreciative of his Farm Credit of the Virginias partnership.
“Farm Credit understands what my needs are and what comes with farming, which makes working with them a lot easier,” he said. “The loan officers deal with many farmers, so they know what other producers are experiencing and they understand the challenges I’m facing.”
Looking ahead, Bob hopes to keep Gritt’s Farm busy year-round—whether by expanding agritourism offerings or increasing produce and flower production. With much of their business being seasonal, they aim to maintain steady work for their team throughout the year. Bob is also interested in starting a pick-your-own strawberry patch, though acquiring suitable land remains a barrier as farmland for high-value crops becomes harder to find.
Through all the changes, his chief goal is to make everyone happy when they come to the farm.
“We want to make people happy when they come to the farm, and we want to make sure they’re satisfied with the products they get from Gritt’s Farm,” he said. “We pride ourselves on making sure people have a good experience and treating them right so they’ll want to come back year after year.”
This article was originally published by Farm Credit of the Virginias.
