Red seeded, red and yellow seedless, and red mini-seedless watermelons as well as organic blueberries are grown on the St. There are two local operations with two primary crops: watermelon and blueberries. When O’Neal started working full time at Coosaw Farms, it consisted of 1400 acres (745 rented and 655 owned) and has grown over the last 23 years to a total of 3300 acres (300 rented and 3000 owned). We see it as part of being well-rounded and well-informed individuals, and we don’t want the kids to think they can just fall back on farming. We want the kids to see and experience other places and have other work opportunities before they commit to returning to Coosaw Farms. Our children have been exposed to the good times and bad times from both of our farms. “Christie and I discuss business in all its variables and scope. “Our children understand a job is a privilege that has to be earned” O’Neal said. With both sets of their parents coming from an agricultural background, Christie and Brad wanted to instill traditional values in their children. Christie is the Business Director of nearby Seaside Farm, which is run by her fifth-generation farming family. They were married in 2001 and have two daughters, Tyler, 20, and Sanders, 17, and a son, Gibson, 15. It was there he met his future wife, Christie, who earned her BS degree in Accounting. O’Neal went on to major in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Clemson University, where he graduated in 2000 with a BS degree. When I was 16 years old, I became the manager of our packing house.” Then when my legs were strong enough to press the clutch on our old 4440 tractor, I pulled harvest wagons in the cantaloupe fields. My goal was to earn enough money to cover lunches for the upcoming school year. He added, “My first job was selling watermelons and cantaloupes at the only stoplight in Fairfax when I was six years old. They were able to build the foundation for what Coosaw Farms is today with grit and determination.” My mother taught third grade at a local elementary school and worked in the farm office during the summers. My dad worked for years as a loan officer for the Federal Land Bank but started farming full time in 1983. O’Neal said, “My parents started the farm at a time with high interest rates and low commodity prices. Brad O’Neal is a minority owner in Coosaw Farms, which is located in Fairfax, South Carolina, and takes its name from the nearby Coosahatchie River.
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