Down a dusty country road, Jason Holladay stands in the middle of his Crenshaw County field one hot and windy afternoon. “If it’d just rain!” he says, looking at the bright and sunny sky.His crops are dry and sparse, but as he eagerly examines the new blossoms his squash plants have just put out, he’s hopeful about the future.Jason, his pregnant wife Ashley, and their rambunctious 2-year-old son, John Robert, are part of a small but enterprising group of Alabama farmers who are branching out from more conventional methods of farming, such as row crops or cattle. These innovative farmers are diversifying their businesses by growing and selling fruits and vegetables that have been produced on small acreage.With hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his worn khakis, Jason, a self-diagnosed ‘farmaholic,’ looks out across fields that are in desperate need of rain. “Well, we hoped there’d be a financial advantage,” he says of produce farming, grinning despite being surrounded by wilting plants. “Produce revenues are a lot more than traditional crops per acre, and so that was what we were interested in. Some crops tend to yield 10 times as much revenue per acre…but there’s more micromanagement. You have to really manage closely some of these little crops.”Although the Holladays, who normally farm corn, cattle and poultry, first planted produce three years ago, this is the first year the family has devoted a serious portion of their time, energy and land to this venture. Their produce operation includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, including purple hull peas, squash, sweet corn, watermelons, cucumbers and butter beans.But in produce farming, like most farming ventures, there have been struggles. Always unpredictable, weather plays a huge role in these labor-intensive fields, especially this year as lack of rain forced many farmers to watch their fields wither.It’s also more difficult to find pesticides or chemicals for produce, compared to some row crops. And, it takes planning, lots of organization and work to ensure there will be a market, Jason said.Growing produce is different from other farming operations: Bigger is not always better, and while 10 acres may yield a tidy profit, 20 may be simply too much to handle, he added.While it has not always been easy, the Holladays are optimistic about what will come of their new enterprise. Even though they are relatively new to produce farming, they’ve already learned a lot in the short time they have been involved. Jason would encourage others to give this type of gardening a try “if they have the time,” while Ashley is slightly more cautious.”Start small,” she says, and advises that patience is crucial as new farmers learn and build up their operations. “If your goal is 50 acres of produce, start with five.”Pouring their hearts and sweat into the farm, they plan for what lies down the road and look forward to the day when their growing family can work together on the land.”Our goal has always been that this would be my thing eventually,” Ashley says. Expecting their second child in July, this year the petite brunette hasn’t been able to play an active role in the farm. Although she has a degree as a teacher, she doesn’t plan to go back to school as her children get older. Instead, she hopes to take more responsibility for the fruit and vegetable garden and create a job for herself at her home.”It’s something that I would take care of down the road,” she says. She knows that it takes time and hard work to build a successful reputation, but to her, all the sacrifices are worth it because of the rewards of working with the people she cares for the most. Jason and Ashley Holladay are not alone in their dreams. All across the state, farmers are working in their fields to grow the best produce available. According to Wheeler Foshee, an assistant professor in the Horticulture Department at Auburn University, customers find their fresh fruits and vegetable at farmers’ markets, U-Pick operations, roadside stands, and local grocery stores and restaurants.”There is a strong opportunity for the small farmer to grow and sell directly to the consumer,” Foshee said. “That’s more profitable for farmers because he’s going to be charging retail prices instead of wholesale prices; and the consumer is much better off because it’s ripe. It’s a much better product.”The Holladays agree, and believe their produce is not only fresher, but of a better quality than what consumers are used to. They enjoy a personal relationship with the people who will be eating what they have grown.Ashley said that while growing vegetables may be new to them, in the past it was simply a way of life.”This is what I remember my grandparents doing,” Ashley said. “It’s a way of giving back. We tend to want to be too advanced, and if you look back, sometimes they knew what they were doing…to have that relationship with the person who ends up with your product is neat to me.”She looks forward to the day when she will have that personal bond with the people who are buying their vegetables, but for now, the struggle is simply to get through one day at a time. While she and Jason wait for their child to arrive, they also realize that this summer’s crop may be interrupted by the birth of their baby, who is set to arrive in the height of vegetable season.Hoping and waiting, the Holladays are not afraid to rise to the challenges that continue to face them every day, but are working–together–to grow their farm. Work may be backbreaking and the hours exhausting, but for them it is worth it.”Farming and family,” Ashley says, quoting her husband, “are the same thing.”