Jason Brown was a famous player for the NFL team Baltimore Ravens who had it all: a growing family, a gorgeous wife named Tay, and stardom.
However, a voice in his heart persuaded him to give up his career and establish a farm that helped the underprivileged.
Jason realized he had to pay attention to farming, and it not only improved his own life but also the lives of thousands of people!
On his 27th birthday, Jason Brown sighed when he looked in the mirror. “I should be content”, he thought.
He was, after all, one of the NFL’s highest paid centers, and he and his accomplished dentist wife Tay were living the American dream.
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The couple had bought a mansion in St. Louis, and their family was becoming well-known.
But with every day that went by, Jason felt that ascent was becoming more hollow. He inquired out loud, staring at himself, “What are you doing with your life that’s so great?”
He looked back and saw the face of his older brother, Lundsford Bernard Brown II, who had lost his life in 2003 while fighting for his nation in Iraq.
Jason was not too long after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Draft and beginning his career as a successful player. He was in the middle of his college football career at the time.
Jason, however, defined “success” as leading a life of purpose and service, as his brother had. A familiar call surged to the forefront of Jason’s emotions as he thought of purpose.
That call had been there for as long as Jason could recall: to work as a farmer and help people. He pondered, “I have no idea how it will look. But I have to follow this dream. Jason softly delivered the news to Tay, unsure of how she would react.
“Going back to North Carolina and starting a farm is something that God has put on my heart,” he said.
“A farm?” Surprised, Tay inquired. “We have no idea how to farm at all!”
But Tay was on board as they talked about the farm’s purpose and their overall objective of going back to their roots, faith, family, and service.
After Jason’s NFL retirement a few months ago, he and Tay started hunting for property.
A 1000-acre farm in Franklin, North Carolina, suddenly became available for purchase.
The couple decided, “God, whatever land you bless us with, we’re giving its first fruits to those who need it.”
“It’s perfect!” When Tay and Jason saw it, they cried. We’re going to name it First Fruits Farm.
After selling their home, the couple learned how to cultivate sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and maize for the area’s food banks and interfaith pantries while working to restore the farm.
However, as their crop increased and they became aware of how quickly their veggies were being consumed,
God gave them a new mission: to distribute all 100,000 pounds of food, or the whole production, to the most in need.
That figure has increased dramatically since the Browns’ inaugural season in 2013.
To combat food poverty in North Carolina, the team recently celebrated reaching a major milestone: donating more than a million pounds of gathered food.
Jason, who has written a book titled Centered: Trading Your Plans for a Life That Matters about his family’s journey, wholeheartedly concurs.
“Although we were referred to as a “power couple” when Tay was a dentist and I played in the NFL, living next to each other on this farm is the real meaning!
It turns out that you can find happiness, love, and serenity right here at home.
Our motto is really straightforward: never stop developing, never stop loving, and never stop giving.
Our goal is to spread love and be a source of blessings to others. For us, that is the definition of true success!
Not only have the Browns’ farm and spiritual ministry, Wisdom for Life, expanded, but they now have ten children, all of whom take great pleasure in lending a hand on the farm.
