Local Farmer Profiles

Bill Holbrook farms 40 acres of tomatoes and peppers in the rich soil of Haywood County. He is a fifth generation farmer, and his farm overlooks the land his grandparents worked when he was young. Bill didn’t always farm full time. For years, he worked a managerial position off the farm and he still believes that good management is the key to good farming. He also believes that farming is the best job in the world. He loves the independence and the rhythm of the seasons. Each spring he is eager to return to the fields and work the soil, and after a long season of hard work, he looks forward to a trip up north for hunting in the fall. He also appreciates the way families support each other and work together to run a farm.

His son-in-law is working beside him these days, helping him put his ideas about farm management into practice. Bill also believes that farmers are not only managers, but stewards of the land, blessed to be farmers in the beautiful community of Bethel. As chair of the local Rural Preservation Committee, he is active in working to preserve the beauty of Bethel for the next generation and make it possible for new farmers to work the best job in the world.