Jon's Story

As the growing season approaches and you begin to crave juicy strawberries, crisp asparagus, blackberries the size of your thumb and peaches that drip juice down your face, think of Branstrator Farm.  Not only does Branstrator Farm produce this diverse blend of fruits and vegetables, but it is accompanied by a unique farmer with quite a story and a rich family history.

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Jon can be described as a self-starter and self-educator with an admirable work ethic. While helping on the farm as a child, Jon’s father always told him “Get with it and get it done,” thus promoting his work ethic that when there was work to do, you put your head down and worked until the job was done. And that is exactly what Jon did.  He had perfect attendance at school until he was fourteen when his father fell sick with pneumonia and Jon became responsible for planting the 200 + acres of farmland by himself.  Jon’s independence, worldly perspective, and open-mindedness is partly due to his passion for electronics, specifically short waveJon as a young man!
radio broadcasts.  He enjoyed listening to broadcasts from different parts of the world, that included thought provoking discussions, and presented differing opinions and viewpoints. Maps and globes surrounded Jon as he grew up and he took it upon himself to learn as much about geography as possible. An important role model in his life was the explorer, ecologist, and scientist Jacques Cousteau whom inspired him to become quite the naturalist, earning his advanced open water scuba certification in his early twenties.


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In the late 80's Jon headed south for Central America.  For approximately ten years, he spent his winters in Costa Rica and his summers in Ohio. While living in Costa Rica, Jon worked in agriculture, primarily for seed producers.  He was exposed to harsh working conditions with unpredictable tropical weather, insects, land degradation, and civil war.  He was fortunate enough to visit Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Panama during his time in Central America.  When he returned to Ohio, he worked on building ropes courses and completing other construction projects. After splitting his time between Costa Rica and Ohio, he lived and worked in several different places within the U.S.  While living in Claire, Michigan, he built ropes courses and oversaw an equestrian program for a local YMCA.  Jon then decided to attend college in Prescott, Arizona and worked refurbishing old houses and in road construction. John 2011
 
Jon’s traveling and agricultural experiences played a key role in 1995 when he returned home to his family’s farmland. The land degradation that he was exposed in Central America inspired him to become more environmentally conscious.  Jon transitioned the farm from a grain monoculture operation to that of a mixed fruit and vegetable farm and decided to use methods such as crop rotation that help maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Clinton County is comprised of an eclectic group of individuals with interesting experiences and histories that should be shared.  Jon
Branstrator and his rich family history are an essential part of the community especially when considering that his farm has been established in the county for almost 200 years. Jon is an asset to our community, with his world perspective and always-positive attitude.

Farm History

Farm BarnShortly after the end of the Revolutionary War, George Washington allotted Stephen Mason 1,000 acres of land from the Virginia Military District for his dedicated service.  In 1823, Andrew Branstrator and his wife, Francis Wilkerson, purchased an estimated 400 acres of the Mason property near what is now the Clinton-Massie School.  At this time, much of land wasextremely saturated and not suitable for crop production due to glacial movement across the land during the Pleistocene era.  The least elevated land on the farm was used for pasture, while the drier land was used to grow crops such as hay, which was stored in the barn that still stands today.  Andrew, Francis and several of their children and grandchildren are buried on the grounds of Branstrator Farm.  
Family Cemetary
The farm is now owned and operated by Jon Branstrator, fifth generation descendant of Andrew and Francis.  Jon’s father returned to Branstrator Farm after serving in World War II and converted the operation from livestock to corn production. He obtained the equipment to dry and store corn and managed a very successful operation for many years.
 
Since Jon’s return to the farm in 1995, the operation has transitioned from grain monoculture to a mixed fruit, vegetable, and grain operation. Because of Branstrator Farm’s rich and unique history, it has recently been awarded Century Farm status from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. This status is given to farms whose families who have maintained a farm or homestead in their family for at least 100 years, with an emphasis on well-preserved, working farms.

Farm Weather Report

52°
11°
°F | °C
Overcast
Humidity: 49%
Wed
Partly Sunny
36 | 56
2 | 13
Thu
Chance of Storm
39 | 57
3 | 13
Fri
Chance of Rain
27 | 41
-2 | 5
Sat
Partly Sunny
23 | 37
-5 | 2