Page 4 - Explore Lonoke County 2020

4SS SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • EXPLORE LONOKE COUNTY
CODY GRAVES/THREE RIVERS EDITION
Shane Swaim of Cabot, left, purchases some vegetables from Sandy Barnhill at Barnhill Orchards’ new drive-thru produce stand in Cabot.
PICKIN’ GREENS Agriculture is big business for Lonoke County
BY SAM PIERCE / CREATIVE SERVICES WRITER
In the spring, Barnhill Orchards in Lonoke took what some might call a proactive response to the coronavirus pandemic. After seeing the need for and convenience of introducing drive-thru and online ordering options for the farm’s customers — the plan turned out to be quite fortuitous, as Barnhill Orchards has had success with the new options.
“We just happened to decide that we were going to do a drive-thru before COVID-19, and when it showed up, we were already up and running,” Ekko Barnhill said. “Since we have started drive-thru and online purchas- ing, the public and the neighborhoods sur- rounding us have supported our farm.”
Barnhill Orchards is just one of the many farms of the agriculture community in Lonoke County. ese entrepreneurs not only sell fresh fruits and vegetables to local families but also provide thousands of jobs in the area.
Barnhill Orchards has been operating in Lonoke County since 1980, and Barnhill said changing the way the farm does busi- ness, allowing customers to stay in their cars and displaying all of the products, has made for a more convenient way to shop.
“ ey can see all of the products and pick out what they want, and we will load it into their cars for them,” Barnhill said. “We have an online service as well, and customers can preorder and pay for their items.
“ ey like the convenience of it. Most of our customers have pets or children in the car, and the drive-thru and online business is quicker and a time-saver for them.”
Barnhill Orchards starts in the spring by offering strawberries, blueberries and black- berries. By the summer, the farm has crops such as squash, zucchini, okra, cucumbers and green beans.
“Everything we sell is raised right here on the farm,” Barnhill said. “Our customers know where the produce comes from, and they can see the farm when they pull up to our market.”
Barnhill Orchards is at 1 Sandhill Road in Lonoke. For more information, call (501) 286-2677 or visit barnhillorchards.com.
Keith Perkins, the staff chair for the Lonoke County Extension Office, said a lot of the agriculture jobs in the state are in Lonoke County. He said the county is a major economic contributor to the state. Perkins