A teenager is growing produce and fruit — and selling it all from his own stand near Lehighton.

“Farming was always something I really wanted to do, and I do enjoy doing it,” explained AJ Hallman, 19, who opened AJ’s Produce alongside Route 443 last July.

Hallman, of Harleysville, farms on acreage owned by his grandmother, Marge Hallman, on Meadowbrook Road in Mahoning Valley.

And he’s doing it all while he majors in special education at Montgomery County Community College, where he maintains a 4.0 grade-point average.

“Nobody in my family really farmed as a business, so we are always learning as we go and are new to this,” Hallman said.

He recalled developing a sweet spot for farming when he was a child.

“I always saw other farmers driving their tractors around and it was very interesting and neat to me,” Hallman said.

By the age of 10, he and his sister, Lauren, were growing gourds and pumpkins and selling them at a roadside stand.

“I just went from there because I enjoyed growing things and slowly expanded over the years,” Hallman noted.

And now, he grows tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, canary melons, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, asparagus, eggplant, candy onions, potatoes, red beets, beans, pumpkins, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

He has blueberries and strawberries — and even grows flowers.

Then there are the orchards, complete with peach, plum, nectarine, apple, pear and cherry trees.

“I am also in the process of expanding our peach orchard, so we are planting around 25 new ones every year, which is very exciting for the future,” Hallman said.

He has equipment — but it’s not exactly state-of-the-art.

“The newest tractor dates back to the 1950s,” he said. “So we are starting from the bottom and working our way with equipment and the business in general.”

While it’s been dry, Hallman has been fortunate.

“So far this year, we have gotten some very timely rains for most of our crops to keep them growing healthy,” he said. “When it is dry, we irrigate our crops to keep them healthy and growing strong. It’s a lot of extra work, but I see the benefit in doing so.”

He first sold his produce locally at the Lehighton Downtown Farmers Market. When the market was discontinued, he opened his stand on 5 acres owned by his father, Dennis “Will” Hallman.

As he harvests, he takes his yield directly to the stand, which is across from Tractor Supply.

For the summer, it’s open from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; from 9 to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

“I have lots of help and support from my family members. To run a small business like this, doing it by yourself is very difficult and almost impossible. However, my grandma, Marge Hallman, helps me with selling at the stand so if I’m not there she is there which is very helpful,” Hallman said.

And behind the scenes, he said, he’s helped in the fields by his father and grandfather, Denny Hallman.

His family say they are proud of the maturity, responsibility, and dedication he shows at such a young age.

“Farming was always something I really wanted to do, and I do enjoy doing it,” Hallman said. “Some days are longer than others, but at the end of the day I get to do what I enjoy doing and work alongside my family which is something I really value and cherish.”

Hallman posts frequent updates to his “AJ’s Produce Lehighton” Facebook page to show what is available at his stand. Payment options include cash, Venmo and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.