Sowing the seeds

Brother and sister Chris Jaswell ’94 and Allison (Jaswell) Molis ’96 head up the family farm.

To Allison (Jaswell) Molis ’96 and Chris Jaswell ’94, farming out their business has a whole different context than what many Bryant alumni have come to expect. This brother and sister team became the fourth generation to take the reins of family-run Jaswell’s Farm in Smithfield, R.I., for the farm’s 100th anniversary in 1999.

It’s not just brother and sister who are involved in the business. Though Allison and Chris together oversee and manage every aspect of the business, they encourage participation from all their kin. Their parents are still involved in the business, and four full-time and 10 part-time employees are family members. Their own spouses and children also help out from time to time.

Despite having been raised in the business, Allison and Chris, as well as their parents, believed it was important to seek an outside, formal education. “Bryant brought all the pieces of the puzzle together for us,” says Allison. “I learned accounting, finance, and best legal practices at Bryant that I combined with my hands-on experience at the farm in pursing my Business Administration degree.” She handles the retail operations for the farm and bakery.

Chris agrees that attending Bryant was important. “There are many aspects of a formal education that you can appreciate when you have working business knowledge.” He controls the wholesale and day-to-day growing operations.

Education in action

Allison and Chris were able to immediately apply classroom concepts to their business. “We are proud of the family history and of improvements we have made,” says Chris.

Jaswell Farms has won numerous awards both for their products and for their agricultural practices with conservation and land stewardship. But they are not content to rest on their laurels.

“We are constantly striving to reach new goals,” he continues.

Chris Jaswell ’94 and Allison (Jaswell) Molis ’96 show off their award from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

The brother-sister team also forged connections through their Bryant affiliation and used skills learned in entrepreneurship classes to continue building relationships with customers. Some of the larger upscale markets and restaurants in the area now specifically request their products.

“We offer high-quality products at a fair price with superior service,” says Allison. “We grow a variety of produce and offer many pick-your-own products, such as strawberries, apples, blueberries, and pumpkins.”

Responsibility to give back

As socially responsible business leaders, Allison and Chris continue the family tradition of giving back. They have donated more than three tons of fresh produce throughout the year to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “We want to help ensure that people in our community do not go hungry,” says Allison.

Fresh-picked seasonal fruits and vegetables; mouth-watering fresh-baked pies and other pastries; and the Jaswell preserves and jellies secret recipes, among other scrumptious goodies, are available May through December at their produce and bake shop at 50 Swan Road in Smithfield. They have their own pasteurized cider mill and make their own candy apples – which have been featured on the Food Network.

From the farm to the classroom and back to the farm, Chris Jaswell and Allison (Jaswell) Molis are making the most of their Bryant education to guarantee the family business thrives for many generations to come.