Barron L Hetherington

Many people likely know Hetherington as owner, along with his family, of B&R Farms just outside Ringtown. The pick-your-own strawberry patch in the Spring is likely the most popular of its kind in Schuylkill County. Previously, back in 2007, Hetherington, a Republican, made an unsuccessful run for Schuylkill County Register of Wills. However, he’d go on to serve as a special advisor to then-Gov. Tom Corbett and also served on the Penn State University Board of Trustees. Hetherington’s also been a vocal advocate for farmers and rural communities in Pennsylvania. When he graduated from Penn State back in 1975, Hetherington took a job with Procter & Gamble. He worked with them for six years before deciding to become a full-time farmer. B&R Farms operates about 400 acres in the Ringtown Valley and in addition to strawberries, also grows grains, fruits and vegetables, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association.