For Derick Backer, the farming life is a family mission. Founded in 1927 by his great-grandparents Richard and Jessie, Backer Farm sits on 37 bucolic acres in Mendham and is the legacy of a love affair with tending the earth.
“I don’t know any different, really. I was always working on the farm during my free time—and was always busy,” he says. “It was a lifestyle that I enjoyed.”
As a child, Backer learned the ropes from his beloved grandfather, Fred, spending all his free time working alongside his mentor and cultivating a love for the land. When Fred passed away in 2015, Backer took up the mantle of operating the farm.
“Farming is a good job for a workaholic,” he says with a laugh. “I like the sense of accomplishment, like when you’re making hay, you start with a large field with tall grass and at the end, you have a field that is beautifully cut. It’s the same feeling with growing vegetables and raising animals.”
Today, Backer, along with his wife, Heather, grow vegetables and harvest fresh eggs as well as supply pasture-raised meats. “We really go above and beyond to make sure that the vegetables and animals are chemical-free and raised naturally,” he says. “We want to be sure it’s safe for my family and other people’s families to eat.”
The Backers sell produce—like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and watermelon—along with beef, pork and chicken, and jarred products, such as salad dressings, pickles, jellies, fruit butters and salsa at their on-site store as well as at the Bernardsville, Montgomery and Monroe farmers markets. They also offer pick-your-own strawberries and pumpkins. “Strawberries are one of the ‘dirtiest’ fruits people buy due to pesticide use, but we grow them naturally, so children can eat our strawberries right off the plants,” Backer says.
The farm is currently working to get approved for an on-site brewery.
When you buy local, you reap the benefits of more flavorful and healthy food while supporting the local economy. “All farmers work hard to provide quality products, but if people aren’t supporting local farms—whether it is my farm or another farm—we can’t succeed,” Backer says. “It’s why we have branched out to the farmers market in order to educate people on the value of local farming.”
Today, Backer and his wife are raising the next generation of farmers. Lela, their 14-year-old daughter cares for 10 horses, drives the tractor, helps Backer produce hay and accompanies him on deliveries. Freddy, their four-year-old son, pitches in as well. You can sometimes spot him sitting on his father’s lap steering the tractor—moments that Backer finds reminiscent of his own childhood.
“He’s little, so he mainly hangs out with me, watching the process, but I can see that he’s really into it, just like I was as a kid,” he says. “Just like my grandfather did for me, I make these tasks fun for my kids and give them something to look forward to.”
Discover Backer Farm at BackerFarm.com.
“I was always working on the farm during my free time—and was always busy. It was a lifestyle that I enjoyed.”