<p>ASHFORD, Conn. -- In 2007, when retired IBM employee Matthew C. Couzens Sr. bought Crooke Orchards in Ashford, he'd never worked a farm, but he'd always been "amazed at how you get a piece of fruit out of a piece of wood," he said.</p><p>Even though he was a beginner, he participated in the Ellington Farmers Market that year. Since then, he's been surprisingly undaunted by the challenge of maintaining the farm and ensuring it continues to produce quality food for market.</p><p>While at IBM, Couzens had been exposed to technological creativity, and upon retirement he wanted to continue being creative. He began looking for land and when he discovered Crooke Orchards was available, he put in an offer. That he had no farming experience didn't discourage him from taking on 153 acres.</p><p>"I didn't know what a computer was before I joined IBM, either," he said. "You just know it's an uphill climb, and you have to do it the hard way."</p><p><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/20/3510792/ibm-retiree-starts-new-career.html">Keep reading...</a></p>