Green Acres Farm

Green Acres Farm
Brent and Beth Eccles 
North Judson, Indiana 
Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs 


Green Acres is a certified Naturally Grown farm in North Judson, Indiana, about 85 miles southeast of Chicago. The farm has been in operation since 1996, when Beth and Brent took over the one-hundred fifty-five acres from Beth’s father. 

Green Acres is a vegetable farm through and through, and its specialty is tomatoes. The Eccles’ currently raise a dozen varieties of cherry tomatoes, and over eighty varieties of heirlooms! In addition to tomatoes, the farm also produces seven kinds of beets and six kinds of carrots, among other healthy veggies. In recent years, the Eccles have also welcomed a colony of bees to their farm, which are tended by a father & son team from Indianapolis. In addition to assisting with crop pollination, the bees have expanded the Green Acres crop output to include honey! 

Being a certified Naturally Grown farm means that no toxic chemicals are used in raising crops at Green Acres. The Eccles employ only sustainable farming practices such as crop rotation and cover cropping, and endless hours of good old fashioned hand labor spent weeding and picking. To do this, Green Acres employs a summer crew of nine laborers. 

Beth notes that only 30-40 acres of the farm are in use at any given time. This allows the soil to regenerate in between plantings, restoring valuable nutrients essential to growing healthy vegetables. The soil in this particular region of Indiana tends to be a bit sandy and dry, which necessitates a great deal of crop irrigation, for which the Eccles use overhead sprinklers and drip irrigation. Fortunately, Beth is happy to report that the region has received more rain than most other parts of the Midwest this summer, which has lessened the effects of the current drought. 

Despite the unpredictability of Mother Nature and the long hours required to maintain a successful family farm, Beth says that the positives far outweigh any negatives when it comes to her chosen profession. She and Brent value the opportunity to work together and to raise their two daughters in a place of such natural, rural beauty. Beth is quick to credit the dynamic between her and Brent as a key element of the farm’s success. Brent has a degree in Engineering, and Beth praises his ability to “fix just about anything.” While Brent handles most of the planting, growing and harvesting, Beth focuses on the financial responsibilities such as marketing and accounting. Her favorite part of the business is traveling to farmer’s markets with her daughters to interact with long-time customers and introduce new folks to the diverse and bountiful produce grown on the farm. 

Beth first met Irv & Shelly at the Green City Market in 2006 and Green Acres has provided Fresh Picks with tomatoes and other wonderful veggies ever since. We thank Beth & Brent for being such great partners all these years!