Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Chmielewski.
Hi Brad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Stoney Brook Farms started in 2005 when my Dad, Mark, and my Mom, Pam, purchased the business from my Grandma, Shirley. We started out growing around 300 acres and a wide variety of vegetables. I started farming full-time with my Dad in 2009 and have been an active member of the farm ever since. Over the years, we started to focus on a handful of items and we increased our acreage. Today, we farm around 700 acres of vegetables including asparagus, broccoli, snap peas, green beans, sweet corn, squash and pumpkins. We also started our annual harvest fun days event in 2016 which includes a corn maze and pick-your-own pumpkin patch.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The major struggle we faced getting established was labor. In 2006, we started bringing seasonal migrant workers in from Mexico on the H2A visa program. This program is great because you know you will have guaranteed labor when you need it. It is very expensive for the employer though. The federal set wage is the AEWR (Adverse Effect Wage Rate). This wage changes each year. In 2022, the wage is $15.37 per hour. That might not sound too bad, but figure in the other expenses as well. Minnesota requires you to pay overtime on that federal wage. No other competing states in our area require that, so it makes us less competitive. We also are required to provide state-inspected housing at no cost. Workers are also due to travel expenses from the doorstep and back as well. We also must provide insurance and unemployment benefits to each worker. We have been struggling to be able to get enough money for our products as well. Inputs have increased dramatically in the last 10 years, yet produce prices have remained relatively flat. For this reason, we have been trying to reduce our inputs without sacrificing quality as much as possible, but it is getting pretty tight. The biggest thing that can help us is the consumer. Request MN-grown produce whenever you can. Support your local farmer!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I manage a lot of the day-to-day here on the farm. I take care of HR, paperwork, shipping and receiving as well as sales and marketing. I would say what I am most proud of is watching the business grow and adapt with the times. As we move forward each year, we access what is working and what isn’t. Sometimes we cut products, such as ornamental corn. Sometimes we add products that we feel are doing well and that we have a market for such as broccoli ( new addition in 2021). I am nervously excited for the future as you never know what the next growing season will bring with new challenges and new successes.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I don’t really have anything that is inspirational I remember reading or listening to. As a hobby, I do Ironman triathlons in my downtime. I find that you need to have discipline and motivation to complete these and I carry that same mindset into the farm as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: Stoneybrookfarms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stoneybrookfarmsinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stoney-Brook-Farms-Inc-103669646377861
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@stoneybrookfarms?lang=en
Image Credits
Rachael Ackerman (Airplane Flyover Maze)
Niky Studenski (Fokrlift Photo and Personal Photo)
