Meet Kris Huebsch

 

We recently connected with Kris Huebsch and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kris, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I grew up on a small dairy farm in northeast Ohio, which makes me a sixth generation farmer. My mom worked hard in town while getting us kids to all of our school activities, sports events and 4H meetings. We helped my dad at the dairy farm from a very young age. I remember when my mom would have to leave for work very early in the morning, my dad would take us down the road to the dairy. The truck he had at the time had a topper on the back with a mattress in the bed of the truck. We would sleep in the back of the truck and when we woke up, we would head into the barn and do our calf chores. There were always things to be done at the farm. It was a great way to grow up.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I own and operate Otter Berry Farm near Perham, Minnesota with my husband, Cordell. We grow strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins and operate a corn maze in the fall. We also own a bare root plant company, fROOTz. We sell strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, elderberries, horseradish, asparagus and potted blueberry plants to home gardeners and large farms all over the country.

I am actively involved in every aspect of the farm, from daily fieldwork including planting, weeding, irrigation and harvesting to managing advertising, bookkeeping, and employee hiring. While the farm is only open to the public for about 45 days each year, it keeps me busy year-round. For the plant business, I mainly help out with the marketing side of things and packing orders in the spring.

The best part of being a farmer is that no two days are the same. Every day brings new challenges and accomplishments. What we enjoy most is that families come directly to the farm and we get to see the joy on their face when they bite into that juicy strawberry, find that perfect pumpkin, or conquer the corn maze!

Both my husband and I grew up on farms, but many people these days do not have a relative in agriculture anymore. We feel it is extremely important to invite folks out to the farm to experience agriculture firsthand. Our customers get to see the crops we are growing and also pick them. Families get to see the farm animals up close and personal, and ask us any questions they might have about how and why we farm the way we do. It is a very rewarding job!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My biggest advice for anyone on their journey is to think big! Envision where you want to be in five, ten, or even twenty years. Then, work backward from that vision to where you are today, identifying the steps needed to get there. Break these steps into small, manageable goals—such as what you want to accomplish in six months, a year, and beyond.

By setting long-term goals and breaking them into achievable milestones, then checking in with yourself every three to six months, you’ll stay on track and make steady progress. Remember, goals aren’t set in stone—they can evolve. Regular check-ins allow you to adjust as needed and keep moving forward.

Another key piece of advice is to surround yourself with successful, motivated people you admire. When you spend time with those who inspire and challenge you, you naturally strive to reach higher standards. On the other hand, negative influences can hold you back, making it much harder to achieve your goals. Choose your circle wisely—it can make all the difference.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Our biggest challenges we are facing right now is balancing growth as a seasonal business. Finding and keeping great employees can be tough, especially when the work is seasonal. We’re working on growing to a point where we can offer more part-time and full-time positions to build a strong, reliable team. At the same time, we’re outgrowing our current space and weighing the options—do we move and expand to a larger farm we can purchase that is located up the road or maximize what we have and keep things more manageable? It’s an exciting (and slightly overwhelming) crossroads, but we’re taking it one step at a time and figuring out what makes the most sense for the future.

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