By Kyle Coppola
Umatilla Brothers Launch Produce Business, Aim to Serve Community
What began as a homeschool project for two Umatilla brothers has grown into a budding business with community impact.
Cooper Harden, 16, and his younger brother Cody, 13, were tasked by their parents with coming up with a business idea as part of their curriculum. After weeks of brainstorming, the boys landed on agriculture, believing they could create something that not only teaches them responsibility but also serves their neighbors.
The brothers launched a small produce stand called 2 Brother’s Produce and More, built largely with their own hands. With some guidance from their father, they constructed the trailer they sell from and even ran electrical lines to a shed to power refrigerators that keep produce fresh.
(The boys produce truck was custom made by the two brothers with help from their father.)
Every Wednesday, the Hardens wake at 5 a.m. to pick up fruits and vegetables for the week. Their goal is to provide fresh, local options for residents in Umatilla and surrounding communities.
“From the beginning, we wanted to do something that could help people,” the brothers say. “Produce made the most sense because everyone needs it, and we can grow it into something bigger.”
(There are many different items the boys offer.)
The brothers have already set their sights on expansion. They hope to eventually add items such as honey, eggs and plants, and even begin offering delivery services for customers unable to travel. “We will begin to start taking orders for anything you may want. Just shoot us a message. We will start offering weekly boxes (your choice of items) very soon as well.”
For now, the brothers say they’re proud of the lessons they’ve learned, from building and electrical work to customer service and business planning and are committed to turning their homeschool project into a long-term success.
(The brothers lay their produce out and are looking to grow their business in the coming months.)
“This is just the start,” they say. “We want this to keep growing and to keep helping our community.” The brothers can be found at their Roadside Stand on CR 450 in Umatilla near Ridden Road. They have been typically available Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s from 3pm-6:30pm with Saturday’s being dependent on what is left. Be sure to support these young boys if you find yourself in the area.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
