The saying goes something like this: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
…and ‘crazy enough’ is just the push Amanda Brocato, owner of Crazy Hoe Farms, needed to start up a locally-owned farm in Wolfforth, TX.
I had the chance to meet Amanda on a warm spring day. Upon arrival, I was greeted with true American spirit, a firm handshake, and the furry personalities of the farm, Ivy and Iris.
Amanda instantly began thanking me for the interest in the farm and anxiously told her story of establishment, while raving about her passion for agriculture and community.
“I always wanted to farm. Growing up, that was the plan, until my dad told me otherwise. He advised that I go on to do ‘bigger and better things.’ Well, that just ticked me off.”
After leaving her family farm in Floydada, TX, Amanda pursued a career in marketing. Not long after absorbing the city life, Amanda decided she was going to go for it: pursue a life of farming. As her father got sick around 2011, she finally convinced him to allow her to farm a half section of cotton.
“People thought I was crazy. My cotton crop didn’t make. What was the alternative…Grandma’s way of farming,” Amanda says. “So I had this half section and I just planted a small garden like Grandma’s: tomatoes, squash, peppers, ect. I wasn’t sure how I could sell those products…but at least I was growing something.”
A background in marketing proved beneficial to Amanda, as she finally named the business, became involved in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and began selling t-shirts and produce at the local farmer’s market. As time progressed, Amanda began building relationships with local chefs and restaurants. Crazy Hoe Farms now proudly provides produce and poultry eggs to local businesses such as Texas Tech Club, Crafthouse, Overton Hotel, and Café J, just to name a few.
Six years later, in 2017, Amanda Brocato has proven that being “crazy enough” to want to farm is just the crazy this community needs. Crazy Hoe specializes in producing vegetables, microgreens and herbs, strawberries, edible flowers, poultry and duck eggs, and much more.
If you’re looking to taste vegetables grown with love, or just want to get away for a day and work with your hands, Crazy Hoe Farms is the place for you. Look for Amanda and her husband, Anthony, at the local farmer’s market, or call her at 806-759-0148 to schedule a visit!
*P.S.—
If you’re wondering where the name “Crazy Hoe” originated…
“I thought Crazy Hoe was perfect. Sure, I was crazy enough to pursue farming, and I grew up hoeing cotton. Doesn’t get more tongue-in-cheek than that, does it?”
-Amanda Brocato, 2017
