How It All Started
Farming in our family goes way back, but onions started a generation before us. When our dad was six, he used his little red wagon to haul Walla Walla sweet onions up to the road to sell. Through the next few years he helped his dad on the farm, and was taught to do his best. When he was 14, he got the opportunity to start his own business, and D&J Sweets was born with the help of his brother Jeff, his dad, and two experienced onion farmers.
Every spring and summer he worked hard on the onions and had the privilege of seeing his business grow. After five years he stopped growing onions, got married and started working with his dad and brothers full time on stream bank restoration.
Now as a father of seven, our dad wants us to have the same opportunity to work together, build character and learn how to be young entrepreneurs.
On September 1, 2017 Countryside Acres was created and our adventure started. That fall we planted 2 acres of Walla Walla Sweets and spring of 2018 planted 2 acres of organically grown transplants. When our journey began we didn't know what we were getting into, and were clueless when it came to growing, packing and selling onions. Looking back after 3 years of growing our business, we know we could not have made it through our first year without our dads experience with onions. The things we have learned growing up on the farm, like, trusting God, working hard, doing our best and enjoying the experience helped us immensely during the learning curve and continue to carry us through every tough situation that comes along.
