Jennifer Hart, current owner of Hart Farms, is a scientist by trade. Using her chemistry and microbiology degrees from North Carolina State University, she works on creating mental health drugs for patients with depression and suicidal ideation. Her true love, however, is her farm, and she hopes she can fill the big footsteps that her father left behind. Though Mr. Hart’s legacy remains, Jennifer has begun to make the farm her own! We are excited for you to be a part of this new chapter of Hart Farms and hope you enjoy our berries and produce as much as our family has for decades!
Who We Are
Hart Farms was started as Hart’s Produce by Harry Lee Hart, a rural mail carrier who was born and raised in Grifton. Before he began selling his produce, Mr. Hart had bought an acre of land on Wiley Gaskins road and started a small blueberry patch, where he employed his young daughter, Jennifer as a regular staple during the summertime. In 1995, Harry bought more land on Maggie Hart Lane, where he then built a house and was able to plant another 600 blueberry bushes to add to his collection. For the next 26 years, Hart’s Produce supplied local fruit stands, grocery stores, and farmer’s markets in the area with not only fresh blueberries, but corn, okra, squash, string beans, tomatoes, field peas and cantaloupe.
Sadly, Harry passed away on September 4th, 2021, leaving behind his farm and legacy to his daughter, Jennifer. Read more about Harry’s life and legacy here - Harry Hart’s Obituary
About our blueberries:
We are proud to cultivate Vaccinium virgatum, known commonly as rabbiteye blueberries. The common name refers to the pink coloring of the fruit’s early stages, resembling an albino rabbit’s eye. Of the many varieties of blueberries that grow in North Carolina, rabbiteyes are among the most adaptable and delicious. Due to its high pH tolerance and lower chilling requirement, this species can grow well in environments and soil types of different kinds. To learn more, click here!