Nationwide — Jason Brown, who was once a prominent NFL player, chose to leave the spotlight to become a farmer. What’s more, he always gives back to local families in his community by donating every harvest to them.
However, in 2012, Brown decided to turn down an offer to return to the Ravens and ultimately walk away from football. Then 29-years old, he said he couldn’t help but compare his life to the life of his brother Lunsford B. Brown II who died while serving in Iraq in 2003 at the age of 27. That’s when Brown realized he wanted to devote his life in doing greater purpose.
He and his family moved from their mansion to North Carolina where he maintains a 1,000-acre farm called First Fruits Farm.
“People tell me I’m crazy, they downright tell me that I’m stupid okay to walk away from millions of dollars,” Brown said in an interview on the Tamron Hall Show. “Because if you have the opportunity to play in the NFL then it’s supposed to be a no-brainer.”
Even though he didn’t have any prior experience in farming, he started learning basic farming practices by watching YouTube videos. He also got his wife Tay Brown and his 8 children to sign up for the challenge.
“Seeing my children when we aren’t out there in the farm field and knowing that they’re learning life skills to help feed them and their families for generations to come, that is the blessing of a farm,” Brown said.
Moreover, Brown aimed to give back through First Fruits Farm. He initially planned to donate the first fruits of every harvest to local families but due to the increasing need, he eventually donated it all. They have so far distributed over a million pounds of food through his ministry Wisdom for Life.