Passing the Summer Months Down on the Farm

By Ron Eichner

Hi folks, as summer approaches, the first three weeks of June mark the last days of spring. June is Dairy Month, which recognizes the hard work of dairy farmers and their supporting families. They milk cows twice a day and care for all of their needs to ensure healthy cows and calves.

Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle is a partner of our farm for their Creamline milk and chocolate milk. They also provide us with four types of raw milk and cheese, which are delivered weekly on Tuesdays.

June 14 is Flag Day, which is a time to honor Old Glory and commemorate the adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777. Put an American flag out to honor what it represents.

June 21 is Father’s Day, which celebrates a wide variety of male titles: fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers, godfathers, uncles, and fathers-in-law. Be sure to recognize them and what they mean to you. Also, June 21 is the first day of summer. The summer solstice is the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.

For farming and gardening, June is a busy month of planting and growing fruits and vegetables, with the start of harvesting. July is the first full month of summer, and local farm markets can offer a bountiful harvest, so you can have a true “Farm to Table” experience. Most area farms, like ours, practice succession planting to keep season-long fresh fruits and vegetables available up to a killing frost in the fall.

This July also features a milestone for our country, the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4. 

July 15 is exciting for us, for it is when my first flock of 350-day-old turkey poults gets delivered by Cooper Hatchery of Ohio. My role becomes that of mother hen for months, raising two flocks of turkey poults for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

July 26 is Parent Day, celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of July to honor parents and all parental figures for their unconditional love, including grandparents.

August is often called the “dog days of August.” As a farmer, I would like to receive at least two rains from Mother Nature each week. If we get one inch of rain or less, then our crops are on life support. So, if we can all pray to God for at least two inches of rain each week, hopefully it will break the drought we have experienced over the past two years. August is not only a time to enjoy the harvest; it’s also the start of preserving it by canning and freezing for the upcoming winter months and offseason.

 Supporting local area family farms not only provides you with the best seasonal fruits and vegetables, but, unlike what grocery stores offer, trips to the farms strengthen the “farm to table” connection.

This year, our farm marks our 129th anniversary as a family farm. Our full-working farm has poultry, including chickens and turkeys. Children can vist our Dexter calves and cows, kunekune piglets, and pigs, and four adorable miniature goats.

In our farm market, you will find Michelle’s buckeyes, which are a hit, and her cookies, along with Teresa’s candy, and Diane’s biscotti. Our greenhouses have a nice selection of annuals, colorful hanging baskets, potted flowers, herbs, vegetables, peat moss, and potting soil in 2.8 cu. ft.

This year, as we celebrate our milestone anniversary as a working farm, it is worth noting that we are the last working farm in the Town of McCandless.

This spring, I added a fantastic greeting card selection called Cori’s Card Corner, featuring cards Cori personally selected that reflect farming, pets, birthdays, and more. These cards have special verbiage and are made in America. Stop by the farm market and stock up on some great cards. You will love them.

You are also welcome to stop by and experience nutritionally grown seasonal vegetables, our high-energy eggs, bacon, and six types of sausage, a four-pound roasting chicken, kielbasa, and lean ground beef, all ready for your grills.

We are nestled in a valley, and our farm market and greenhouses are open seven days a week. You are welcome to make our farm a destination to come and visit Eichner’s Whole Farm and Greenhouses at 285 Richard Road, Wexford, and discover “the rest of the story.”