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The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life--and Saved an American Farm
One tenacious woman's journey to escape rural poverty and create a billion-dollar farming business--without ever leaving the land she loves
The youngest of her parents' combined twenty-one children, Sarah Frey grew up on a struggling farm in southern Illinois, often having to grow, catch, or hunt her own dinner alongside her brothers. She spent much of her early childhood dreaming of running away to the big city--or really anywhere with central heating. At fifteen, she moved out of her family home and started her own fresh produce delivery business with nothing more than an old pickup truck.
Two years later, when the family farm faced inevitable foreclosure, Frey gave up on her dreams of escape, took over the farm, and created her own produce company. Refusing to play by traditional rules, at seventeen she began talking her way into suit-filled boardrooms, making deals with the nation's largest retailers. Her early negotiations became so legendary that Harvard Business School published some of her deals as case studies, which have turned out to be favorites among its students.
Today, her family-operated company, Frey Farms, has become one of America's largest fresh produce growers and shippers, with farmland spread across seven states. Thanks to the millions of melons and pumpkins she sells annually, Frey has been dubbed "America's Pumpkin Queen" by the national press.
The Growing Season tells the inspiring story of how a scrappy rural childhood gave Frey the grit and resiliency to take risks that paid off in unexpected ways. Rather than leaving her community, she found adventure and opportunity in one of the most forgotten parts of our country. With fearlessness and creativity, she literally dug her destiny out of the dirt.
The youngest of her parents' combined twenty-one children, Sarah Frey grew up on a struggling farm in southern Illinois, often having to grow, catch, or hunt her own dinner alongside her brothers. She spent much of her early childhood dreaming of running away to the big city--or really anywhere with central heating. At fifteen, she moved out of her family home and started her own fresh produce delivery business with nothing more than an old pickup truck.
Two years later, when the family farm faced inevitable foreclosure, Frey gave up on her dreams of escape, took over the farm, and created her own produce company. Refusing to play by traditional rules, at seventeen she began talking her way into suit-filled boardrooms, making deals with the nation's largest retailers. Her early negotiations became so legendary that Harvard Business School published some of her deals as case studies, which have turned out to be favorites among its students.
Today, her family-operated company, Frey Farms, has become one of America's largest fresh produce growers and shippers, with farmland spread across seven states. Thanks to the millions of melons and pumpkins she sells annually, Frey has been dubbed "America's Pumpkin Queen" by the national press.
The Growing Season tells the inspiring story of how a scrappy rural childhood gave Frey the grit and resiliency to take risks that paid off in unexpected ways. Rather than leaving her community, she found adventure and opportunity in one of the most forgotten parts of our country. With fearlessness and creativity, she literally dug her destiny out of the dirt.
Hardcover
First published August 21, 2020
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About the author
Sarah Frey
10 books19 followersSarah Frey is founding farmer and CEO of Frey Farms. Sarah was born in Southern Illinois and raised in the small farming community of Orchardville.
At age 16, Sarah was determined to escape rural poverty and started a fresh produce delivery business out of the back of an old pickup truck. After a hardscrabble adolescence, she learned to survive and eventually thrive off the land on which she was raised.
As a teenager, with a healthy dose of moxie, she began negotiating fresh produce deals with the nation's largest retailers. Nearly two decades later, the family business manages thousands of acres of fruit and vegetables on farms in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia.
Dubbed "America's Pumpkin Queen" by the New York Times, she sells millions of pumpkins annually. Her humble beginnings and early life on the farm inspired her to develop "Sarah's Homegrown," a line of fresh beverages and natural food products made from unmarketable or "ugly fruit."
Sarah is a vocal advocate for American farmers and has a longstanding commitment to improving the quality of life for those living and working in the nation's most rural communities. Sarah still lives, works and is raising her two sons, William and Luke, on the same small farm where she grew up.
(source: Amazon)
At age 16, Sarah was determined to escape rural poverty and started a fresh produce delivery business out of the back of an old pickup truck. After a hardscrabble adolescence, she learned to survive and eventually thrive off the land on which she was raised.
As a teenager, with a healthy dose of moxie, she began negotiating fresh produce deals with the nation's largest retailers. Nearly two decades later, the family business manages thousands of acres of fruit and vegetables on farms in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia.
Dubbed "America's Pumpkin Queen" by the New York Times, she sells millions of pumpkins annually. Her humble beginnings and early life on the farm inspired her to develop "Sarah's Homegrown," a line of fresh beverages and natural food products made from unmarketable or "ugly fruit."
Sarah is a vocal advocate for American farmers and has a longstanding commitment to improving the quality of life for those living and working in the nation's most rural communities. Sarah still lives, works and is raising her two sons, William and Luke, on the same small farm where she grew up.
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
November 5, 2020
Excellent memoir of her life so far. Only losing a star with the last 30 or so pages. She's mid-life "expert" smug and a rather too over the top back patter by just the last sections.
Strongly recommend. If there is only a very few memoirs a year you read - pick this one. Amazing story. Just as I was about to cook my own pumpkin down for pies. SO much better than that canned stuff.
Sarah is intrepid. Very few could posit or live such a childhood ability to pivot the family in her exuberant unique channels. Takes quite a girl to utilize 4 big brothers beyond rarely repenting a moment of her own positive energy. Made me wonder what it would be like to not even know so many of your own siblings until adulthood and yet still have 7 or 8 more around the farm.
Southern Illinois is so rarely encountered in any reading - fiction or non-fiction. It's so immensely under evaluated. Take a visit. If only through these pages. Snapping turtle or hen peck be damned.
This is trading food stamps for change all the way to bidding on land auctions serendipity. No longer the tiny drab mouse brown haired waif, either. Brava! Most authentic voice of a successful woman that I've read in decades.
Strongly recommend. If there is only a very few memoirs a year you read - pick this one. Amazing story. Just as I was about to cook my own pumpkin down for pies. SO much better than that canned stuff.
Sarah is intrepid. Very few could posit or live such a childhood ability to pivot the family in her exuberant unique channels. Takes quite a girl to utilize 4 big brothers beyond rarely repenting a moment of her own positive energy. Made me wonder what it would be like to not even know so many of your own siblings until adulthood and yet still have 7 or 8 more around the farm.
Southern Illinois is so rarely encountered in any reading - fiction or non-fiction. It's so immensely under evaluated. Take a visit. If only through these pages. Snapping turtle or hen peck be damned.
This is trading food stamps for change all the way to bidding on land auctions serendipity. No longer the tiny drab mouse brown haired waif, either. Brava! Most authentic voice of a successful woman that I've read in decades.
October 25, 2020
If you liked Educated by Tara Westover, you may also like The Growing Season. Both tell the amazing stories of women who overcame a difficult childhood to make extraordinary things out of their lives.
Working in the produce industry and being from a farming region myself, it was very inspirational seeing Sarah Frey’s tenacity as she grew her business from a local melon run to a nationwide enterprise. I’ve met her in person and heard her speak at several produce industry tradeshows over the years, but never knew the full extent of her story. If you want to be inspired and impressed by a badass woman who has an endless well of moxie, Sarah Frey’s your gal.
Working in the produce industry and being from a farming region myself, it was very inspirational seeing Sarah Frey’s tenacity as she grew her business from a local melon run to a nationwide enterprise. I’ve met her in person and heard her speak at several produce industry tradeshows over the years, but never knew the full extent of her story. If you want to be inspired and impressed by a badass woman who has an endless well of moxie, Sarah Frey’s your gal.
September 25, 2020
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: How I built a New Life – and Saved an American Farm.
Frey’s memoir begins with her childhood on the family farm in southern Illinois. The youngest of her father’s and mother’s combined 21 children, she was far from the pampered “baby” of the family. Yes, her four older brothers doted on her and protected her, but they also challenged her to go hunting and fishing with them, and to do the heavy chores required to keep the family’s farm running. Still, her father’s con-man mentality and “big dreams” kept the family in precarious financial shape. Like her older brothers, Frey could hardly wait to escape “the Hill” and lead a normal life.
But when she was walking the last horse off the property and facing a foreclosure auction, she found she just couldn’t let the land go. So, she decided she would buy the farm and make it into a viable business. Today Frey Farms is a thriving multi-million dollar a year agribusiness. And some of the deals she has negotiated have become case studies used by the Harvard Business School.
In many ways, this reminded me of Tara Westover’s Educated . But where Westover’s father and brothers were abusive, Frey was surrounded by love and support. Frey’s parents valued education and insisted that all their children attend school AND do well in their studies. Her upbringing gave her confidence in her ability to do anything if she put her mind to it and put in the work. She also was a keen observer and determined not to make the mistakes her father made.
I found her story interesting but somewhat repetitive. Still, on my next trip to the grocery store, I’ll be checking the pumpkins and melons to see if they have the Frey Farms sticker!
Frey’s memoir begins with her childhood on the family farm in southern Illinois. The youngest of her father’s and mother’s combined 21 children, she was far from the pampered “baby” of the family. Yes, her four older brothers doted on her and protected her, but they also challenged her to go hunting and fishing with them, and to do the heavy chores required to keep the family’s farm running. Still, her father’s con-man mentality and “big dreams” kept the family in precarious financial shape. Like her older brothers, Frey could hardly wait to escape “the Hill” and lead a normal life.
But when she was walking the last horse off the property and facing a foreclosure auction, she found she just couldn’t let the land go. So, she decided she would buy the farm and make it into a viable business. Today Frey Farms is a thriving multi-million dollar a year agribusiness. And some of the deals she has negotiated have become case studies used by the Harvard Business School.
In many ways, this reminded me of Tara Westover’s Educated . But where Westover’s father and brothers were abusive, Frey was surrounded by love and support. Frey’s parents valued education and insisted that all their children attend school AND do well in their studies. Her upbringing gave her confidence in her ability to do anything if she put her mind to it and put in the work. She also was a keen observer and determined not to make the mistakes her father made.
I found her story interesting but somewhat repetitive. Still, on my next trip to the grocery store, I’ll be checking the pumpkins and melons to see if they have the Frey Farms sticker!
Read
April 16, 20211/16/21: DNFd at 14%. Frey's tone was smug and self-congratulatory, and I couldn't get past how irritated I was with that enough to care about the story.
May 23, 2020
Sarah Frey, the youngest child in her family and the only girl. She was always proving herself with her four older brothers. In the beginning they let her win, take the prize, the first kill to give her confidence she needed. Her father was her best teacher, making her finish what she started.
In her teen years she could see the downfall of her families farm, which was mostly horses. She wanted to farm the land. She eventually bought the family farm after she paid all the debts off.
Her business started out small. She and her mother would go the farms with cantaloupes load them into a truck and take and sell then to the local stores. They business got bigger and bigger.
The banker was confidant to load her money, since she had borrow before and paid off the loan early.
When she got a contract from Walmart to haul produce she enlisted the help of her four brothers.
She needed then to drive the semi's.
When there was more profits she began to buy adjoining land and also unseen land at auctions.
She got a contract with Lowe's. She really had to work hard to land that one. She put her imagination to work with different fruit juices, pumpkins and pumpkin products.
She was married to the most handsome man, however it didn't work out. From her marriage she has two wonderful boys.
This was such a great true story of a girl with fortitude, doing what she wanted to do , letting no one steal her thunder.
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads. Thank you Goodreads.
I loved this book.
June 2, 2020 it will be in hardback.
In her teen years she could see the downfall of her families farm, which was mostly horses. She wanted to farm the land. She eventually bought the family farm after she paid all the debts off.
Her business started out small. She and her mother would go the farms with cantaloupes load them into a truck and take and sell then to the local stores. They business got bigger and bigger.
The banker was confidant to load her money, since she had borrow before and paid off the loan early.
When she got a contract from Walmart to haul produce she enlisted the help of her four brothers.
She needed then to drive the semi's.
When there was more profits she began to buy adjoining land and also unseen land at auctions.
She got a contract with Lowe's. She really had to work hard to land that one. She put her imagination to work with different fruit juices, pumpkins and pumpkin products.
She was married to the most handsome man, however it didn't work out. From her marriage she has two wonderful boys.
This was such a great true story of a girl with fortitude, doing what she wanted to do , letting no one steal her thunder.
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads. Thank you Goodreads.
I loved this book.
June 2, 2020 it will be in hardback.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2020
Sarah Frey shares how she started a tiny produce delivery business out of an old pick up truck as a teen and turned it into a nationally recognized company doing business with major retailers.
The youngest of a combined twenty one (!!!) children, Frey learned to take care of herself from an early age. Her mom and dad have a rather dramatic/messy love story and the family struggled to make ends meet while her dad refused to give up dreams he had for their farm, which fell in to ruin. Frey attended both high school and community college at the same time while working multiple jobs and moving out to live with her brother.
She had tons of tenacity, put in hard work, and had a lot of understanding teachers for her to be living on her own before she could even drive a car.
This memoir combines personal accounts of her childhood with brief descriptions of major deals she landed and how she’s branded her business. She touches on work-life balance, being a female in a male-dominated industry, and focuses on her family and how they have been the driving force behind her determination to succeed.
Inspiring and well-written, I breezed through this in just a few hours and was amazed at how Frey never let a thing stand in her way or intimidate her.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Growing Season: How I Saved an American Farm—And Built a New Life is scheduled for release on August 25, 2020.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
The youngest of a combined twenty one (!!!) children, Frey learned to take care of herself from an early age. Her mom and dad have a rather dramatic/messy love story and the family struggled to make ends meet while her dad refused to give up dreams he had for their farm, which fell in to ruin. Frey attended both high school and community college at the same time while working multiple jobs and moving out to live with her brother.
She had tons of tenacity, put in hard work, and had a lot of understanding teachers for her to be living on her own before she could even drive a car.
This memoir combines personal accounts of her childhood with brief descriptions of major deals she landed and how she’s branded her business. She touches on work-life balance, being a female in a male-dominated industry, and focuses on her family and how they have been the driving force behind her determination to succeed.
Inspiring and well-written, I breezed through this in just a few hours and was amazed at how Frey never let a thing stand in her way or intimidate her.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Growing Season: How I Saved an American Farm—And Built a New Life is scheduled for release on August 25, 2020.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
June 2, 2020
A solid 3.5 stars. Sarah Frey is truly inspiring. Raised in unusual circumstances, and quite poor, she learned young to have a tight knit family and to work hard for survival, qualities that would later lead her to build an empire to take care of her family, providing them all a home when in need. That and ambition have been her driving forces, and she has not let the word no, expectations, limitations, a glass ceiling, boys club, or anything else stop her. I wish I had an ounce of her bravery, tenacity and just sheer moxie. Well written, a relatively quick and easy read, I would recommend it to anyone. What prevents it from being 4 or 5 stars in my estimation? Neither completely personal nor completely business, her stories and ideas are primarily transactional and action oriented, which speaks to who she represents herself as and who she is and how she got to where she is. However, without the introspection, I feel that most of the power in her story is in what's not said - that's what held me back. Professionalizing her business cannot have been easy, and there had to be several lessons learned along the way, but it's covered in a sentence or two. Work-life balance, the same, though her work is her life and vice-versa. She involves her siblings and children in everything.
May 3, 2024
This story is absolutely beautiful. A story of resilience, humor, and success. So much of the story mirrors my own life, and reading it has been a journey of healing and gratitude. If you happen to be a Walmart associate; you must read this
May 24, 2020
* Received a free copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
It's an engaging story. But, it feels very incomplete. She mentions having business losses, but doesn't go into detail on any of them. I think people can learn from that.
It's an engaging story. But, it feels very incomplete. She mentions having business losses, but doesn't go into detail on any of them. I think people can learn from that.
May 11, 2024
Great story!
October 24, 2020
This was an interesting book about a woman who clearly has a good head on her shoulders and can take responsibility not only for herself but for others as she built her family's default farmland into an entrepreneurial success. It is a "gutsy success story" as promised by the NY Times and a very easy read. The only thing I really found fault with is that it was too easy to read, not enough depth or detail. While the story overall is eye opening about how Sarah grew up in an unconventional home situation and rose to great success, this book glosses over a lot which would have been interesting to learn about. Her gumption, self-awareness, focus and drive were all evident in this book. Sarah's commitment to family and her relationships with her brothers and her parents were very interesting and helped to shape her into the adult she became. All that said, the telling of this story itself came up short on specifics that would have really rounded it out to be a more compelling book.
December 12, 2020
A book club pick and it was a pretty fast read once I got going on it. Since my husband grew up on a farm in Indiana -mint not pumpkins - I was interested in her perspective. However, I felt like it was just a checklist thru of her accomplishments in re-buildng and growing her family business starting at a very young age. That alone was impressive but there was never any depth to her life - just a progression of events.
October 18, 2020
Sarah's story is interesting and very impressive, but I don't think her book did the story justice. I wanted to get invested in her and in her family, and I didn't think the writing was compelling enough to do so, which left me rather disappointed. That said, if she achieves her goal of inspiring just one young woman to be bold, then it's worth it.
June 15, 2022
Loved! This woman is all around inspiring. Such a great writer in addition to all of her other talents. I truly felt like she transported me back to her past with her.
June 10, 2021
My Dad grew up in small town Southern Illinois, but moved North for work (and love) after high school. We often vacationed to visit relatives in the South, and his hometown was often a topic of conversation. About when I was in college I noticed that my family knew a number of people that had become famous for different things from the area in the South. There was a few business founders, some politicians that held or ran for state office, an NBA hall of famer, and famous-at-the-time authors. So I am not surprised when someone from small town Southern Illinois makes something of themselves. That’s what this book documents.
I found this book because it was chosen by the suburban Chicago paper as their reading club selection, and the discussion was led by our local community college. They advertised it in a mailing of their events. I attended the lecture and discussion online before I read the book and found the author intriguing. The quick summary of the book is that the author grows up “dirt poor” (meaning she was from a poor family and they talk about dirt a lot, being farmers) with a father that wants to teach her to stand on her own, and with a number of older brothers that got into a lot of trouble, mostly the good, clean kind. The author learns these lessons, starts a business buying and selling melons, attends local community college, and starts growing her business to include her brothers and to start raising melons and pumpkins in farms across the country. And she does this from her headquarters on a farm near a small town in Southern Illinois, about 10 miles from where my uncle’s family lived and about 20 miles from where my Dad grew up. There must be something in the water that makes a handful of folks stand out.
I liked the story overall. The anecdotes related to growing up and to making those first deals were interesting, and you can tell that that was how the author intended this book to be sold – as a story about a kid who starts from little and bootstraps herself into a big business. The book is not a denigration of her hometown. It's more Horatio Alger story than Hillbilly Elegy. I found this aspect interesting and worth reading. The author comes across with a personality a lot like, say, Dolly Parton, but with watermelon trading instead of music driving her forward.
I also tend to read a lot of business books, and given that this was about a business I was hoping for some details about her business. You don’t really get any indication of how her business relates to her competition, if her company always battles big food wholesalers, how big the company even is. There is also a mention of Frey’s negotiating skills in the book blurb, saying that she is such a good negotiator that Harvard made a case study out of her skills. You would assume this would be a main topic in this book. What she says is that she happened to drive past a new Walmart warehouse/office the day it opened and stopped by to introduce herself to a buyer, who happened to be there. That is the episode that she says led to the Harvard case study. I have to wonder if Harvard made a mistake, or if Frey is being coy. If this book was intended to be a business book, you would have had this question answered, and there would have been a reference to the case study. There is none here. This is a personal narrative that happens to involve a business. I'd give it an A as a personal narrative, and a C+ as a business book. This book opens a lot of opportunities for the author (politics? business celebrity? food celebrity?). I expect to see her again.
I found this book because it was chosen by the suburban Chicago paper as their reading club selection, and the discussion was led by our local community college. They advertised it in a mailing of their events. I attended the lecture and discussion online before I read the book and found the author intriguing. The quick summary of the book is that the author grows up “dirt poor” (meaning she was from a poor family and they talk about dirt a lot, being farmers) with a father that wants to teach her to stand on her own, and with a number of older brothers that got into a lot of trouble, mostly the good, clean kind. The author learns these lessons, starts a business buying and selling melons, attends local community college, and starts growing her business to include her brothers and to start raising melons and pumpkins in farms across the country. And she does this from her headquarters on a farm near a small town in Southern Illinois, about 10 miles from where my uncle’s family lived and about 20 miles from where my Dad grew up. There must be something in the water that makes a handful of folks stand out.
I liked the story overall. The anecdotes related to growing up and to making those first deals were interesting, and you can tell that that was how the author intended this book to be sold – as a story about a kid who starts from little and bootstraps herself into a big business. The book is not a denigration of her hometown. It's more Horatio Alger story than Hillbilly Elegy. I found this aspect interesting and worth reading. The author comes across with a personality a lot like, say, Dolly Parton, but with watermelon trading instead of music driving her forward.
I also tend to read a lot of business books, and given that this was about a business I was hoping for some details about her business. You don’t really get any indication of how her business relates to her competition, if her company always battles big food wholesalers, how big the company even is. There is also a mention of Frey’s negotiating skills in the book blurb, saying that she is such a good negotiator that Harvard made a case study out of her skills. You would assume this would be a main topic in this book. What she says is that she happened to drive past a new Walmart warehouse/office the day it opened and stopped by to introduce herself to a buyer, who happened to be there. That is the episode that she says led to the Harvard case study. I have to wonder if Harvard made a mistake, or if Frey is being coy. If this book was intended to be a business book, you would have had this question answered, and there would have been a reference to the case study. There is none here. This is a personal narrative that happens to involve a business. I'd give it an A as a personal narrative, and a C+ as a business book. This book opens a lot of opportunities for the author (politics? business celebrity? food celebrity?). I expect to see her again.
August 8, 2025
What a story and what a woman! Thoroughly enjoyed this!
November 30, 2020
a good mix of farm memoir, with a childhood that reminded me of "Educated".
March 27, 2020
The Growing Season is one of those books that from the first page you will want to crawl into your comfy spot to read because you will not want to stop till you get to the end.
Sarah Frey the author and of course the main focus of this book is a special kind of person who grows up on Southern Illinois farm where on the outward appearance is idyllic with an 80 acre farm/ranch with a white farm house she has 21 yes 21 sisters, brothers and half siblings. They are not living all together but what a large family. Sarah's life guidance and drive come from her father and 4 older brothers who teach how to work, hunt and fish and live off the land they are a loving family who have been instilled with a strong work ethic everybody in the surrounding community knows if they hear the name Frey knows they are not afraid of hard work. They grow up learning nothing is more than family as most people know if they have grown up on a farm or ranch your brothers and sisters are your playmates. But as you read through the book everything is not as it seems as her father does have a shady side and over time her parents relationship falls apart this does lead to a couple of comical instance's in the book. The house on the insides in the winter is so cold that all the kids sleep in the living room to stay warm and they have to live on food stamps.
As Sarah is growing up it is amazing the drive and determination she has and the success she starts to have in business by age of fifteen when she moves out of the family house and develops her melons and which grows into much more. She is delivering millions of dollars worth of produce before she is twenty-one. You will see is comfortable in skirts and pearls as much as she is in jeans and work boots. This is good story on family, business and so many other ways give it and read and be inspired. I received an ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.
Sarah Frey the author and of course the main focus of this book is a special kind of person who grows up on Southern Illinois farm where on the outward appearance is idyllic with an 80 acre farm/ranch with a white farm house she has 21 yes 21 sisters, brothers and half siblings. They are not living all together but what a large family. Sarah's life guidance and drive come from her father and 4 older brothers who teach how to work, hunt and fish and live off the land they are a loving family who have been instilled with a strong work ethic everybody in the surrounding community knows if they hear the name Frey knows they are not afraid of hard work. They grow up learning nothing is more than family as most people know if they have grown up on a farm or ranch your brothers and sisters are your playmates. But as you read through the book everything is not as it seems as her father does have a shady side and over time her parents relationship falls apart this does lead to a couple of comical instance's in the book. The house on the insides in the winter is so cold that all the kids sleep in the living room to stay warm and they have to live on food stamps.
As Sarah is growing up it is amazing the drive and determination she has and the success she starts to have in business by age of fifteen when she moves out of the family house and develops her melons and which grows into much more. She is delivering millions of dollars worth of produce before she is twenty-one. You will see is comfortable in skirts and pearls as much as she is in jeans and work boots. This is good story on family, business and so many other ways give it and read and be inspired. I received an ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.
April 28, 2020
More Tara Westover than Jack Welsh.
Judging a book by its cover, I expected a business biography, like so many I read before. I don't want to say that I was disappointed - not at all - I just was surprised to say the least. Sarah Frey describes in some frank at time gruesome way her upbringing in rural Illinois. This stretches for the first half of the book, before it turns into a story about the business she built.
I think that the business story is providing some background, but the core story is how Sarah as a person was formed by her upbringing, parents, siblings. How ethics and habits were formed that helped her to manage and succeed later in live 'despite' the fact she was a woman in a mans world.
A highly motivational story for young women with the clear message: you can do anything, regardless how tough your life is, if you put the energy and dedication behind it. I give it 4 stars, just because it does not do justice to the title in the sense that the emphasis is the person, not the produce. Still an excellent book, and everyone who enjoyed "Educated' will like this one.
Judging a book by its cover, I expected a business biography, like so many I read before. I don't want to say that I was disappointed - not at all - I just was surprised to say the least. Sarah Frey describes in some frank at time gruesome way her upbringing in rural Illinois. This stretches for the first half of the book, before it turns into a story about the business she built.
I think that the business story is providing some background, but the core story is how Sarah as a person was formed by her upbringing, parents, siblings. How ethics and habits were formed that helped her to manage and succeed later in live 'despite' the fact she was a woman in a mans world.
A highly motivational story for young women with the clear message: you can do anything, regardless how tough your life is, if you put the energy and dedication behind it. I give it 4 stars, just because it does not do justice to the title in the sense that the emphasis is the person, not the produce. Still an excellent book, and everyone who enjoyed "Educated' will like this one.
December 28, 2020
This is not a perfect book but I enjoyed the audiobook so much that I gave it five stars anyway. Frey grew up on a farm with several old brothers and a father who pushed her (sometimes too hard) to accomplish everything she could. She went on to establish an incredibly successful agriculture company at a young age. Her book about her upbringing, early career, and successes and challenges was inspiring and relatable. The audiobook was so easy to listen to that I finished it in about a day. This would have flown under my radar if someone hadn’t recommended it so I hope to pass on the favor. If you enjoy memoirs and/or learning about farming, food, or business, definitely read this!
December 16, 2020
Sarah Frey was the youngest of her parents' combined 21 children. She grew up on a struggling farm and learned quickly to take care of herself. Her family did all kinds of work to survive and Sarah helped her mother re-sell melons from local farmers to grocery stores. By the time she was 16 she had expanded the melon business and roped in her brothers to help her. She eventually bought her parents' farm when it was about to be foreclosed. Her small-time melon business turned into a multi-million dollar business that supplied Walmart with produce and owned farms in several states.
When I read reviews of this book I was more thinking it would be like Forrest Pritchard's book Gaining Ground about turning his family's farm from industrial monoculture to a financially successful diversified farm. But, Sarah Frey's story is more of creating a huge empire that just started with her own family's farm. Her success is great and the struggles she overcame while growing up are impressive, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I liked the chapters that covered her childhood better than the second half of the book. I think because of how she grew up she was so hell bent on succeeding and growing that parts of the book were stressful to read because she was just doing SO MUCH ALL THE TIME. I'm not surprised her marriage didn't last - it would take a very unique person to be in a relationship with someone so driven and hyper-focused. I loved that this was a story of a woman making a successful business in a typically male dominated field, but I just didn't love the book as much as I wanted to.
Some quotes I liked:
[When Sarah's hired workers from Mexico were discriminated against at her local bank] "'I understand that you folks are a little uncomfortable with our workers coming in to cash their checks,' I said, keeping my voice steady. 'You're making them wait out in the heat because you're not comfortable with them all here? Well, you know what? Now I'm uncomfortable, too. I'm uncomfortable having my money here. Close out all of my accounts. Now. There,' I called on my way out. 'Now no one has to feel uncomfortable.'" (p. 155)
"After all, how many times have I had a man show up at my farm or at one of my facilities and ask me if they could speak to the 'man in charge'? Probably a million. Every time I politely smile and say, 'Sure, I'll go get him.' Then I go find one of my brothers and say, 'Hey, he wants to speak to the man in charge. Maybe you should go have a conversation with him.' My brother goes to speak with the guy. And as soon as the guy asks a question, my brother says, 'You know what? I don't have any idea. I'm going to have to talk to my sister. She's the boss. You had the opportunity to talk to her directly, but now she's gone. Don't worry, though. I'll pass along your question and I'm sure she'll make it a priority to get back to you right away.' Sometimes it's better to let people find out after the fact that they've been rude, rather than depleting your energy educating them." (p. 164)
When I read reviews of this book I was more thinking it would be like Forrest Pritchard's book Gaining Ground about turning his family's farm from industrial monoculture to a financially successful diversified farm. But, Sarah Frey's story is more of creating a huge empire that just started with her own family's farm. Her success is great and the struggles she overcame while growing up are impressive, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I liked the chapters that covered her childhood better than the second half of the book. I think because of how she grew up she was so hell bent on succeeding and growing that parts of the book were stressful to read because she was just doing SO MUCH ALL THE TIME. I'm not surprised her marriage didn't last - it would take a very unique person to be in a relationship with someone so driven and hyper-focused. I loved that this was a story of a woman making a successful business in a typically male dominated field, but I just didn't love the book as much as I wanted to.
Some quotes I liked:
[When Sarah's hired workers from Mexico were discriminated against at her local bank] "'I understand that you folks are a little uncomfortable with our workers coming in to cash their checks,' I said, keeping my voice steady. 'You're making them wait out in the heat because you're not comfortable with them all here? Well, you know what? Now I'm uncomfortable, too. I'm uncomfortable having my money here. Close out all of my accounts. Now. There,' I called on my way out. 'Now no one has to feel uncomfortable.'" (p. 155)
"After all, how many times have I had a man show up at my farm or at one of my facilities and ask me if they could speak to the 'man in charge'? Probably a million. Every time I politely smile and say, 'Sure, I'll go get him.' Then I go find one of my brothers and say, 'Hey, he wants to speak to the man in charge. Maybe you should go have a conversation with him.' My brother goes to speak with the guy. And as soon as the guy asks a question, my brother says, 'You know what? I don't have any idea. I'm going to have to talk to my sister. She's the boss. You had the opportunity to talk to her directly, but now she's gone. Don't worry, though. I'll pass along your question and I'm sure she'll make it a priority to get back to you right away.' Sometimes it's better to let people find out after the fact that they've been rude, rather than depleting your energy educating them." (p. 164)
March 9, 2022
I was intrigued by this story as I too grew up among midwestern farms, though not on a farm myself. This book reminded me of Educated by Tara Westover as both came from tough (in different ways) childhoods to become strong, successful women. Frey grew up poor and in her words, not in a normal family. She took the lessons she learned (strength and determination) and founded her own company in her teen years. Never one to settle for some success, she kept growing her business and reaching for more and more. While I can't fathom buying a $1.5 million farm, sight unseen, on a whim, I can respect her tenacity and success. The one thing I kept thinking though is... when is enough, enough? After a health scare, she does step back and make enjoying her life and family more of a priority. There are good lessons here even if it feels a bit too heavy on the "I'm a young, pretty woman doing all this" aspect and gets repetitive at times. I wasn't familiar at all with the author (or Frey Farms) prior to reading this. Very much worth a read!
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 24, 2020
She's been described as the Pumpkin Queen of America, but Illinois farmer Sarah Frey got her start from very humble beginnings: including poaching deer with her brothers while their father waited in the truck – just so the family could eat.
Frey's family business - which she started at 16 after she moved of her parents' home, has grown to about 150,000 acres of farms spanning Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and West Virginia. Back then, Frey borrowed $10,000 to buy a used truck and soon set out to buy her family's farm, which was being foreclosed on.
Frey Farms also grows watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn and winter squash. In 2017, Frey Farms was the largest H-2A visa employer in Illinois.
I thought this was a fascinating read. Told in a no-nonsense style, I can't imagine being treated the way Sarah Frey was by her parents – and many years later, still maintaining communication with them.
Frey's family business - which she started at 16 after she moved of her parents' home, has grown to about 150,000 acres of farms spanning Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and West Virginia. Back then, Frey borrowed $10,000 to buy a used truck and soon set out to buy her family's farm, which was being foreclosed on.
Frey Farms also grows watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn and winter squash. In 2017, Frey Farms was the largest H-2A visa employer in Illinois.
I thought this was a fascinating read. Told in a no-nonsense style, I can't imagine being treated the way Sarah Frey was by her parents – and many years later, still maintaining communication with them.
April 21, 2021
Sharing the same name as the author, I came across Sarah's story years ago. So when I discovered she was releasing a memoir, I was more than fascinated to learn more about her life.
It's an odd thing to see your name, but not your story in print. But following her journey was a treat. It was fascinating to learn about the ins and outs of agribusiness, and how this farming picture of the past is still around today.
My biggest takeaway was her steadfast ability to move past fear. Fear of getting in over your head, fear of biting off more than you can chew, fear that you won't, in the end, "figure it out". But she did, and has reaped the rewards of going steadfast into building your dreams. A message I will take with me.
It's an odd thing to see your name, but not your story in print. But following her journey was a treat. It was fascinating to learn about the ins and outs of agribusiness, and how this farming picture of the past is still around today.
My biggest takeaway was her steadfast ability to move past fear. Fear of getting in over your head, fear of biting off more than you can chew, fear that you won't, in the end, "figure it out". But she did, and has reaped the rewards of going steadfast into building your dreams. A message I will take with me.
November 10, 2020
This book was a refreshing change of pace from my normal reading. It was inspiring, motivating and educational. My book club selected it for our November read and I had never heard of it nor the author. I guess I had been living under a rock. Sarah Frey has such an interesting growing up story and she continues to inspire today with her authentic, honest, and refreshing take on the farming business, life, and family. I live not too far from where her narrative takes place and it was good to hear some local names and places being profiled in such a popular book. Our book club was fortunate enough to have a chance to Zoom with the author. She was a delight, and I expect further fantastic things from her. I recommend the read. It is worth your time.
April 1, 2021
Loved this entertaining memoir on one woman’s journey to become a successful entrepreneur. Her childhood was poor in a lot of ways and rich in so many others but encouraged her to move forward in life, not taking no for an answer and stocking her company with her four brothers and other family and friends along the way. The book is written with an attitude/tone that reflects the authors directness, honesty, and strong belief in herself. I would be really surprised if when you meet Sarah she would be exactly the way she communicates in the book.
I bet she writes a good cookbook too. And lucky me, I love pumpkin.
I bet she writes a good cookbook too. And lucky me, I love pumpkin.
July 4, 2025
I mean, she created an entire industry almost single handed, but I wouldn’t want to be in a room with her. She is so driven and intense and became exactly like her father, but at least without his alcoholic violent tendencies. Many parts of her book defied belief- she got a bank loan at age 15 to buy a truck?? She had enough money to buy the family farm at 19?? She was adept at fixing farm machinery and cars, but yet didn’t possess jumper cables and met a man who helped her?? So many false stories in her life.
December 1, 2020
I opened this while doing research on how to make a family farm profitable. I read it for the fascinating story of how lessons learned from a highly dysfunctional and impoverished family started a gutsy, determined, hard-working teenage girl on an amazingly short path to success. I doubt 99% of others in the same situation could have succeeded to the extent she did, but Frey's story may inspire others to dig in with whatever they have and accomplish more than they dreamed.
March 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this read, it combines my two favorite things 1. strong women & 2. people who involved in today's food and food supply chain. I loved hearing about her poor upbringing and her determination to live a good life in adulthood. A life where you didn't need to poach deer for dinner or where there was a thermostat, not a fire place, in the house to keep warm. I'm very impressed by Sarah and loved her stories about confronting racism, buying farmland to use and learning business all with a community college degree (which she didn't REALLY need.) The book was fresh and hopeful and I couldn't stop listening.
January 2, 2021
It’s probably my fault for going in expecting more of a book about fruit/vegetable farming and the produce industry. There is some of that, but it’s mostly a memoir and an interesting one, but just not what I went in expecting.
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