Randy Morris
Today, Morris Organic Farm harvests nearly 50 types of produce, including different varieties of beans, peppers, potatoes, leafy greens, squash, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and melons. He also grinds and sells his own whole-wheat flour and cornmeal.
During the summer months, Morris Organic Farm becomes a pickyour-own-produce farm, and customers are welcome to visit during weekday evening hours or on Saturday afternoons to harvest their own produce. In addition to running the farm, Morris works full time as a manufacturing representative, so having customers come to the farm to pick their own produce eliminates much of the time and costs associated with picking, sorting, washing and packaging items, he says.
“ Not only do we save a lot of time and money, but our customers get exactly what they want, in the quantity that they want. It works out very well,” he explains.“ People like the fact that they can get an assortment at the farm, instead of doing their weekly shopping at the grocery store. Produce tastes best right after you pick it.”
The farm attracts customers from all over the Pittsburgh area and beyond; some of his customers travel from as far away as Johnstown and Seven Springs.
In addition to inviting customers to the farm, Morris sells his produce at area farmers markets. He runs the Farm Fresh Farm Market in Irwin, which is held on Saturday mornings from June through October. His farm also operates a stand at the Murrysville Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons from June through September.
Morris has been farming since a young age. Growing up in Plum— he’ s a 1971 graduate of Plum High School— his family had a backyard garden. When he moved to the Norwin area after college, he farmed on property off of Barnes Lake Road, then near Indian Lake and in nearby Sewickley Township before settling on his current location. From the beginning, he says, he wanted to“ do things correctly” and follow the guidelines and procedures that would lead to organic certification. His farm is certified by Pennsylvania Certified Organic, a division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
“ When you eat produce that’ s shipped in from other places, it may look nice, but it’ s nutritionally void,” Morris notes.“ With conventional farming, plants aren’ t getting the nutrients and minerals that they need to be fully nutritional. The organic matter in our soil creates microbes that help our plants grow and thrive.”
Customers have responded to this message in kind. The farm is full of activity during the summer months, requiring extra help. And while some of his methods have become mechanized, much of the work still requires the toil of human hands.
“ The summertime allows for extra daylight, which helps, but we still need a few part-time employees and a lot of volunteers,” he says.
Outside of normal summer visiting hours, Morris welcomes customers to make an appointment to visit the farm. Whole-wheat flour and cornmeal are sold year-round.
Morris Organic Farm is located at 110 Slebodnik Road, off of Mars Hill Road in Irwin. For more information, visit morrisorganic. com. n
Plum | Spring 2017 | icmags. com 11