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Laughter fills the valley beneath Appalachian foothills as children weave between rows of red strawberries at Nances Creek Farms. There, Joseph Dothard cultivates his passion for agriculture and appreciation for family history.
“We are so thankful to steward the farm my family settled in the 1800s,” said Dothard, a Calhoun County young farmer. “God had to bring me to my knees for me to see that I wasn’t in control. He led me to this life. I look at this century-old farm and strive to protect it for future generations.”
Along with strawberries, pumpkins and summer produce, Dothard and wife Sabrina are raising the next crop of farmers. Their three children, Libby, Lorelei and JT, are the seventh generation of Dothards to grow up in the Nances Creek community near Jacksonville. The original Joseph Dothard immigrated to Alabama from Ireland in 1880.
“My perspective changed after we had children,” Dothard said. “I grew up thinking farming wasn’t for me. I was working a job off the farm for almost a decade in occupational safety. After having kids, I realized this is where I needed to be.”
Today, Dothard also works at Greenway Plants, a nearby nursery owned by Alabama Farmers Federation Central Area Vice President Jon Hegeman.
“That ties in perfectly with what we’re doing at the farm,” Dothard said. “It goes hand in hand with growing strawberries. Working at Greenway allows me to be full-on ag. Jon encouraged me to get involved with the Federation and Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association. That’s been instrumental for us.”
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