About the Farmer

     Matthew Cantrell may be a 13-year-old just getting immersed in the world of high school and playing eighth-grade football, but his circle of friends goes well beyond his peers to include, among others, a retired mail carrier and a farmer affectionately known as “The Onion Man.”  A typical teenager Monday through Friday, Matthew wears a different hat on Saturdays, when he sets up shop at the Lebanon Farmers Market to sell eggs and produce.

                “I started out with the Russell County 4-H about two years ago,” said Matthew.  The agricultural program got him started raising 15 baby chicks, providing him with basic materials, mentorship, and the chance to show his grown birds at the county fair that fall.  “I know it was 6^th grade because I remember my teacher kept asking if they’d started laying yet,” he said.

                Matthew can’t remember whether he won second or third prize at the fair that year, but he does know that the experience kicked off a love of farming that he expects will continue to grow throughout his life.  “The work, I don’t mind,” he said.  “I like it better when I’m working with somebody, but it’s not too bad.”

                That “somebody” is usually Matthew’s father or grandfather, both of whom grew up on the farm where the family still lives.  “They used to raise tobacco, kept apple trees, and we still have honeybees, cows, goats, and of course the big garden,” said Matthew’s mother Melissa. 

                “Matthew would say I’m a city slicker,” Melissa added.  “I wasn’t raised on a farm, but his dad’s family does have a lot of knowledge.”

                Another mentor is Neel Breeding, a longtime family friend and former mailman who also sells at the market.  “He is a person we can talk to about anything,” said Melissa.  “And he and a lot of the other farmers”—like “Onion Man” Roger Jessie—“have been so helpful.”  Market manager Tricia Zalewski-Harris has also taken time to train Matthew on market practices, including the protocol for accepting SNAP vouchers (formerly called food stamps), and Senior Farmers Market Nutritional Program coupons as payment for his goods.

                Since football season started, Matthew’s hours spent learning to be a defensive tackle have cut down somewhat on his time working on the farm.  But in the coming weeks, he still expects to bring a significant amount of produce to the market, including the last few tomatoes and green beans, squash and zucchini, plus potatoes, sweet potatoes and plenty of eggs. 

                “My chickens have done fine all year, even in the heat,” Matthew said. “There’s plenty of shade for them from an apple tree.”

                Highlights of the work for Matthew are working alongside his family, including his parents, grandparents, and older sister Amanda, and savoring the final product together.  He also does woodworking projects and loves to play with his dog, Daisy.

                “The hardest part, I’d say, is the hoeing,” he said.  “It always seems like it’s hottest when you’re hoeing, and you get blisters.”

                “And this,” said Melissa with a laugh, “from a boy who once asked Santa Claus for a hoe.”

                The Lebanon Farmers Market, located in the market pavilion below the Russell County Government Center at 137 Highland Drive, is held on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.  The market will remain open through mid-November.

Article and photo by Paige Campbell