History | Hatandheart

Our farming history

1855

The Ottmers family started farming in Gillespie Co., land grant signed by Sam Houston. Gottfried would amass 1000 acres on North Grape Creek and help establish the Cave Creek community.

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1935

Albert Ottmers owned the town of Rheingold and ran a dance hall there for several years just 3 miles from our current farm.

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1942

Adolph Burg, Bradley's great grandfather, bought the family's first mechanical tractor. That same tractor was used to plow the first field on our farm and rests under a shade tree near the barn. A year later, he advertised his draft horses for sale in the Fredericksburg Standard for $8.

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1966

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1901

Bradley's maternal side (the Klinksieks) started wholesale markets in San Antonio on Produce Row. They would move to the "Terminal Market" in the 1950's and sell there until the mid 1990's when we transitioned to retail Farmer's Markets.

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1939

The family started poultry farming in the booming turkey industry. They would commercially raise turkeys until 1999 and we still raise laying chickens today and we converted the 1960's built turkey barn to wash vegetables today.

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1950's

Bradley's grandfather Helmuth Klinksiek bought a 1950 GMC truck in John Deere green to transport produce from Grapetown to San Antonio. Bradley's mother Marion (pictured above) started farming before she could walk and accompanied her father from time to time. His own father drove a covered wagon on the same route.

J.W. and Marion Ottmers, Bradley's parents, purchased our current farm