When Jenna met her now-husband, Jonathan, they bonded over their love for agriculture and flowers.
A Shared Passion
Jenna Bastian grew up on a small beef farm in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and always dreamed of owning her own farm. When she met her now-husband, Jonathan, they bonded over their love for agriculture and flowers.
“When Jonathan and I met, we both realized that one of our common characteristics was that we both had a passion for gardening, and the outdoors and flowers,” Jenna said.
Jonathan did not grow up in agriculture but always felt a desire to have his own farm. Because of this shared passion, Jonathan and Jenna started Hickory View Farms in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
“We realized that other people share an interest in cut flowers and a passion for having locally grown products, and so it made logical sense for us to take that passion and turn it into a business,” Jonathan said.
Finding The Right Fit
The process to find the right piece of land for this young couple’s operation presented a challenge.
“The process to find land was one that definitely took us a few years. We had been looking for a while, and we just hadn’t found the right piece of property,” Jenna said.
After years of searching for land, the couple finally came across a perfect plot of 21 acres for their operation and for starting a family. With the help of Horizon Farm Credit, the Bastians purchased the land to start their operation and build their home on the land.
“As a young couple looking for land and trying to build a house at the same time, we recognized that we needed a lender who would walk alongside us and help us through the entire process, as it can be quite challenging. And so, after looking at several different lenders and talking with other people that have had experiences with lenders, we found that Horizon was the logical lender for us,” Jonathan said.
Looking Forward
As the Bastians continue to grow their family, they also plan to continue growing their operation.
“We are excited to grow Hickory Farms into a place that continues to offer cut flowers, bouquet subscriptions starting next year. And then in the offseason, we plan to continue offering fresh cut Christmas wreaths and other Christmas decorations as we enter into the holiday season,” Jonathan said.
