Planting small seed in agri-tourism plot

Sep. 24—Growing up, Alex Hanna never questioned where his food came from.

That's what happens when you're raised on a farm.

"We've had a farm in our family since 1787," he said of his family's 500-acre farm in northern Greenbrier County. "It's primarily been a beef farm, but I've always raised crops and all kinds of produce so that's been my passion."

But though Hanna has never questioned the supply chain, he knows he's in the minority. Even in Greenbrier County, which hosts a 10-day agricultural showcase each summer.

"There are people who live in this county who don't know how a working farm operates," he said. "There are people who maybe the only time they are exposed to agriculture is at the State Fair (of West Virginia)."

His fiancée Jade Napier fell into that group not that long ago.

"I had no interest in agriculture whatsoever," she said.

Things change though.

Through Hanna, Napier's interest in agriculture grew and, in 2020, she was named West Virginia Ms. Agriculture United States.

Napier didn't win her title through a pageant, but rather an essay.

"I wrote about how I went from thinking agriculture wasn't anything at all, to knowing how important it is," she said. "In school, unless you took agriculture classes, you didn't learn about it."

That's something Hanna always dreamed of changing.

So after he graduated with a degree in agritourism from West Virginia University in 2020, he and Napier set out to find land where they could welcome the public in for both fun and education.

----At 14 acres, The Hanna Farmstead is just a stepping-stone for the couple, but they're excited by the start.

"We decided to rent a farm outside of Lewisburg to try our fall farm attractions," Hanna said. "But hopefully we'll be able to purchase a bigger farm down the road after this gets us started."

The farm includes a variety of attractions including wagon rides, a barrel train for kids, corn hole and horseshoes.

Visitors can also make their way through a four-acre corn maze, which Hanna and Napier designed and cut themselves. "It's a pretty intricate design," Napier said. "We wanted to make it so people can spend a good bit of time in there and have fun."

They said there are plenty of photo opportunities as well, whether it is among thousands of fall flowers, posing behind a fun cutout, standing in a pumpkin house or among the many pumpkins available for sale.

"There's something for everybody, I believe," Hanna said.

Thanks to Napier, there's even something for those looking for a little snack, as she operates a food truck serving up everything from coffee and soda to hot dogs, hamburgers, cheesecake and pumpkin doughnuts.

"We partnered with local brewer Mountain Folk Coffee and Greenbrier Dairy for cheese curds," she said, adding they try to source locally when possibly.

Hanna and Napier said they believe the farm allows a safe experience during Covid-19 as visitors can spread out. And anyone looking for a bit more privacy can rent a campfire ring and enjoy their own twilight gathering.

"We definitely have something that everyone can do in a safe, fun environment," she said.

The two said they and other employees with farm experience will always be ready to provide information about farm life. "We just want people to see how a farm operates and know the importance of what we're doing," Napier said.

The Hanna Farmstead, at 382 James Stuart Road in Lewisburg, is open Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit the farm on Facebook for more information and for upcoming events.

Email: mjames@register-herald.com