Changing fields

Former NFL player Jason Brown has given keynotes at two meetings I was attending. His farm, First Fruits Farm, was part of a tour of regional farms my sons and I went on. We've stood on the hill overlooking the farm, including a dairy barn built in the 1950s. I've sat at the table in that barn talking with Brown and his wife about their goals for the farm.

I thought I'd heard their story. Then I read his book, "Centered," which tells the story of how "God made a farmer out of me."

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He didn't grow up on a farm, but farming is in his blood, which I learned in the book. Brown's grandfather, Jasper, was a farmer during segregation. He wanted for his children to get a better education, but was forced from his farm after fighting for integrated schools put his and his family's life at risk.

Brown made his mark on another field, first for the University of North Carolina, then by playing professionally. Once the highest paid center in the NFL, North Carolina native Jason Brown turned down contract offers as a free agent. Instead, he followed a calling to move from the football field to the farm field.

The story he tells in both the book and his speeches isn't just his. He met his wife, Tay, while they were in college. A native of California, she completed her doctorate in dentistry after they married and he went pro.

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The family was living in St. Louis in an "MTV crib-style mansion." Brown was the same age his brother had been when he was killed serving overseas in the Army. As he said during one keynote, "There was no comparison to what he did with his life. I was living a life of fame. He lived a life of service."

When he first told Tay of his calling to change careers and farm she said no. But she prayed on it, and eventually started looking online at farms. They had a name, First Fruits Farm, but needed land. The book tells the story of how they found it and started the farm in 2014.

Brown learned how to grow sweet potatoes by watching YouTube videos and with the help of a few local farmers. The couple decided to give away all the fruits (in this case, vegetables) of their first harvest. They donated the entire crop, which was harvested by volunteers, to area food banks. As of today, their farm has donated almost 25 million pounds of fresh produce — 100% of every crop — to serve people in need.

• READ MORE: I yam not a sweet potato

I have to say, when I heard him speak I thought how easy it would be for a former NFL player — with a bank account to match — to become a farmer and give away their entire crop. When I read the book, I found out just how wrong I was.

In one of his talks, Brown said they now make decisions based on "faith, family, and farming." He speaks to school groups where the kids, especially boys, get excited to meet him because he played football. Jason wants them to get excited because he's a farmer. He's working harder on the farm field than he ever did on the football field.