On today’s episode of Future of Agriculture Podcast, I found a very interesting man on Snapchat about a year ago and he tells the story of his diversified farm in Mesilla Valley in Southern New Mexico. Jay Hill started his love for agriculture as a young boy while spending time watching the farmers on a 10-acre hobby farm.  He is a first generation farmer whose life in farming started at the very young age of 16.  

Jay shares not only his journey from 16 years back, but also the things that he continues to hold on to as he operates his business that has turned into a diversified commercial operation through the years. From beef to regular commodities, from restaurant distribution to direct consumer, Jay has a lot of wisdom to share especially with how he values and encourages his staff to excel in what they do.

“The key to success with us is employees.”  – Jay Hill

 

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• Jay talks about his unique farming operation and what inspired him to pursue it.
• He narrates what lead him to start his farming empire with onions that eventually lead to a partnership with a huge packing company.
• Being young and driven, he shares the initial business plan he had as he started the farming business.
• He narrates their journey – his and his dad’s – as they went along, which eventually lead his dad to focus on the equipment business while Jay continued the farming side.
• He shares how the farming business expanded into restaurant distribution.
• He shares the story of transforming chicken houses, which were actually warehouses, into greenhouses and the method of planting they are applying given such environment.
• He talks about what has kept them in business – a big part of which is the radical ideas he has being a first generation farmer.
• He reveals the reasons why the employees are, for them, the key to success and his experience that lead him to value employees that much.
• As Jay explains the responsibilities that come along with his position in the company, he also names several positions that need to be filled at Hill Farms.
• He shares how the social media has helped in Jay’s desire for transparency between the company and the consumers especially about concerns with how things were grown.
• He narrates how he started to pursue photography together with the big progress that he has recently made.
• He shares his vision 10 years from now.

 

 

Check Out Jay Hill Across the Net:

• Hill Farms New Mexico Website
• Snapchat Code: hilljay45

 

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