Meet Jack Stone | Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jack Stone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jack, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Even though you asked for one, we would identify two… First, deciding to strategically leave our previous careers was critically important to giving us the best chance to be successful. As the business started to grow, we knew more time would be imperative. We waited until the last possible moment to leave our jobs, Trish first and then myself. This made taking the leap easier as the business needed us. We knew by then, we couldn’t be successful without quitting. The second decision, which we’re still in the midst of, was to convert to a non-profit organization. We knew from the word “go” that we wanted to benefit the special needs community. As we learned more about the non-profit world, we realized, “That’s us”. That’s what we’re gonna be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Trish and I are the owners & operators of Stone’s Throw Farm Co. We run a tiny produce farm on the outskirts of Tarrant County and operate three mobile farm stands. This project grew from a health need for one of our sons, into a hobby, into a hobby business, into a life style, and finally our life’s mission. Stone’s Throw is now who we are. Building Stone’s Throw Farm Co. has been, and will continue to be, exceptionally challenging, and we will never be done. There’s always something to start doing, stop doing, improve upon, etc. From learning how to pickle cucumbers to building a duck coupe. It is an ever-evolving journey that we wouldn’t trade for anything. One of the most critical lessons we’ve learned along the way, is when to move slowly and strategically and when to move as fast as humanly possible. For example, Trish and I have avoided incurring any debt of any kind while building our farm (slow & strategic), but we have remained incredibly aggressive when something is working. We move faster than anyone we know. We couldn’t be more pumped about our conversion to a non-profit this year. While what we do will remain largely unchanged, we will be able to move forward by creating work & employment opportunities for segment of society that is largely overlooked & underserved: The Special Needs Community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We absolutely love the area, so this one is easy for us. We’d schedule some time in the rural outskirts and then pepper in some Fort Worth staples…. Swing through Granbury Town Square… grab lunch on the lake at Stumpy’s…. see some dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley…. take a dip at the Granbury Beach…. When you make it up to Fort Worth… stay at Three Dane’s Inn… spend the morning at the best zoo in the country… grab a burger and a beer at Fred’s Cafe…. and finish it up with some margaritas at Joe T’s.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A person and a book come to mind… My mom. She initially encouraged us to start selling at a tiny farmer’s market 5 years ago. She still helps us today, and she’s always happy to get paid in food. 😉 The book…. Start Something That Matters. I was in big business for 20 years. I enjoyed for a long time, but a lot of it lacked a soul. This book basically defines what I think business SHOULD be.

Website: stonesthrowfarmco.org

Facebook: @stonesthrowfarmco