Hearthstone Berry Farm

Hearthstone Berry Farm is a new fruit farm in Nova, Ohio. Hearthstone was originally part of an 85 acre dairy farm. In 2008, 34 acres were in Timothy hay and 12 acres of lowland woods grew on the north property line. Over the past five years, we have planted peaches, blackberries and blueberries. Elderberries were planted in a trial plot as part of a SARE grant in 2010. The bulk of the farm is still in hay, but now the front six acres are in orchard and we have a half-acre pond for irrigation.

Our goal is to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for the contiguous counties in a manner that respects the environment and is economically sustainable. Hearthstone will take ten years to bring into full production. Drop by for a jar of honey this year, blackberries the next; enjoy an afternoon in the country and come watch us grow.

About the Farm
The farm was purchased in 2008. It came with a telephone pole, a broken-down pole barn and many piles of rotten hay and assorted debris. The fields had been in hay for several decades.

The initial goal is to plant fruit tree and berry trials to determine consumer tastes and the ability of the farm to support a pick your own operation.

Locally Grown Food
How far has your food travelled? Answering this question raises the question of how sustainable our food supply is when we regularly transport produce cross-country every month of the year. When fuel prices spiked in 2008 we saw just how much our supplies depended on long distance transportation. Our local farm communities do grow produce for the local market, but generally have a difficult time connecting to the consumer. Consider actions you can take to support the local economy, reduce dependance on shipping and help grow a more sustainable food system.

*Find a local producer
I know many farmers and markets, and I know how much time and money they spend trying to market themselves to the public. But marketing costs money and many operations are too small to effectively connect with a large population of consumers. Make an effort as a consumer to seek out local food sources. There are many small CSAs and farm markets in the county that lack the marketing to find you, so please take the time to do some shopping to find them.

*Eat in season.
This may be the easiest habit to change and also the most diffucult. No one expects you to live on dried lima bean and prune soup in the winter. However, for much of the year, menus can be arranged to take advantage of locally grown produce. For instance, with some preplanning, winter squash can be stored into fall and winter. Also, some growers are making use of high tunnels (giant cold frames) to get fields producing earlier. These high tunnels will put locally grown produce on the shelf earlier in the spring and keep it coming late into the fall. Seek out new recipes that "eat in season", taking advantage of local food.

*Plan ahead, shop frequently.
Eating locally should also change food shopping and cooking habits. Plan meals ahead of time. This might be difficult at first, but you will find that a bit of preplanning will actually take the edge off of a normally hectic schedule. Shop at several of your local markets frequently, once or twice a week. You can pick up several days worth of fresh produce to make the meals you had already planned out.