The Growing Season

How I Built a New Life--and Saved an American Farm

By: Sarah Frey

Narrated by: Sarah Frey

“A gutsy success story” (The New York Times Book Review) about one tenacious woman’s journey to escape rural poverty and create a billion-dollar farming business—without ever leaving the land she loves

The youngest of her parents’ combined twenty-one children, Sarah Frey grew up on a struggling farm in southern Illinois, often having to grow, catch, or hunt her own dinner alongside her brothers. She spent much of her early childhood dreaming of running away to the big city—or really anywhere with central heating. At fifteen, she moved out of her family home and started her own fresh produce delivery business with nothing more than an old pickup truck.

Two years later, when the family farm faced inevitable foreclosure, Frey gave up on her dreams of escape, took over the farm, and created her own produce company. Refusing to play by traditional rules, at seventeen she began talking her way into suit-filled boardrooms, making deals with the nation’s largest retailers. Her early negotiations became so legendary that Harvard Business School published some of her deals as case studies, which have turned out to be favorites among its students.

Today, her family-operated company, Frey Farms, has become one of America’s largest fresh produce growers and shippers, with farmland spread across seven states. Thanks to the millions of melons and pumpkins she sells annually, Frey has been dubbed “America’s Pumpkin Queen” by the national press.

The Growing Season tells the inspiring story of how a scrappy rural childhood gave Frey the grit and resiliency to take risks that paid off in unexpected ways. Rather than leaving her community, she found adventure and opportunity in one of the most forgotten parts of our country. With fearlessness and creativity, she literally dug her destiny out of the dirt.

Critic reviews

“Riveting . . . Intensely memorable . . . Persistence, candor, and confidence are at the heart of all [Sarah Frey’s] interactions, whether it’s talking her way into a meeting with a reluctant fruit seller or confronting a bank that mistreats her Mexican seasonal workers.”—The Boston Globe

“Through tragedies and setbacks, Frey has remained resolute and devoted to her business and family. Her charisma and chutzpah leap off the page.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“The honesty of Frey’s storytelling makes the book both entertaining and enjoyable. Overall, one has to appreciate the tenacity and honesty she demonstrates to overcome the obstacles and achieve remarkable business success.”—Traverse City Business News

“A remarkable story about perseverance and innovation.”—Forbes

“Although The Growing Season . . . is a gutsy success story, it’s never over the top. Frey relates everything in the same matter-of-fact tone, even when she’s describing something that doesn’t reflect well on her. . . . It would have been so easy for Frey to sand off the rough edges, to buff this story into something shiny and sparkly. She refused—and I admire her for that.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Similar to Tara Westover’s Educated, this part memoir, part entrepreneurial story, tells of one woman’s success in business based on relationships of mutual trust with other farmers, accompanied by her sheer hard work. . . . The author also adds some of her thoughts on what it’s like to be a modern farmer, which are sometimes hilarious and often endearing. She has the inimitable quality of appearing not as someone who accomplished so much at such a young age but rather a person readers will enjoy getting to know, chapter by chapter. Frey brings a breath of fresh air to both the personal memoir genre and the business world. Her writing is crisp and her personality winning. A must-read.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Frey’s energetic, inspiring memoir will appeal to small business owners and anyone who likes a bootstrapping success story.”—Publishers Weekly

“With earnest, effective storytelling, Frey demonstrates her character: ‘impatient, driven, restless, and at time obsessive’—and highly successful. A heart-gladdening memoir of a rare triumph over poverty.”—Kirkus Reviews

Inspiring Story

An inspiring story of hard work self empowerment and a commitment to family and to hard honest work. A true American success story.

Outstanding.

Brutally honest about the power of hardwork and resilience and what it looks like.

Insightful and inspiring

Insightful view of family, farm life and choices in a path to the future. To me, narrator (author) sounds like Julia Roberts. Grocery store experience has changed for me seeing it from the eyes of a farm family.

Small town Farm girl; Humble means, and Huge vision

What a ride listening to this book was for me- I chuckled aloud so many times at how she described so many things about growing up a farm girl, and also had tears streaming down my face in several parts. What I can tell you is, you will NOT be disappointed in this riveting book. I have so much respect for her and must say to ANYONE, Male or female who is trying to find inspiration in their passion projects or even following a dream, do not delay.
Women, you need to read this, have your teen girls also listen. Her willingness to tell her personal story with such humor and unflinching honesty will most certainly move you and reaffirm that there are special people that make the world better just for being here.

Amazingly Beautiful!

Loved everything about this story! The honesty, transparency, and resiliency of Sarah is what made her story even sweeter…literally!