Down the Road Farm

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day from Ammi!

08/25/2026

Feed Me, Seymour.

08/21/2026

Will it EVER stop raining? This week was even worse than the last with severe storms, flooding, intermittent power and internet outages, driveway wash-outs, and crop damage. There’s a lot we could say about the hard parts—but for today, that's too exhausting, so let’s focus on some good. 💛

These are some beautiful flowers from last week’s Lancaster Farmers Market. Despite everything Mother Nature has thrown at us, we’re still fighting to stay in this season, and we’ll be back at the market again tomorrow with more beautiful bouquets. 💐

And we have a couple of people we’d like to give a shout-out to for helping us weather this storm:
👏 A huge thank you to our neighbor, Mario, who has worked to repair our washed-out driveway after each round of heavy storms. He is the reason we made it to market last week and were able to get to town for groceries.
👏 And thank you, Fritzie at SPICE, who secured a grant-funded generator for us a couple years back. Being able to keep our flower cooler cold through the unexpected power outages has saved our flowers and our sanity.

We’re grateful for our community who has been showing up for each other and these flowers that keep giving us something beautiful to hold onto.

We’ll see you at Lancaster Farmers Market tomorrow with another batch of blooms.

08/19/2026

Brains! 🧠 🧠 🧠

The flower we get asked about the most at market is celosia. And honestly… we get it.

They're unusual. They're fuzzy. And they look like brains (or coral, depending on who you ask).

Celosia comes in all kinds of shapes and colors, and it's one of our very favorite summer crops. And, bonus: it dries beautifully, too!

08/15/2026

Thank you, Perry County, for your continued support. 💙

As we share this updated flyer of donation and support sites, we want to provide an important reminder:
At this time, we kindly ask that community members pause all clothing donations at all support sites. Thank you for helping us keep the recovery process organized and efficient for everyone.

The Community Foundation for Perry County has established the Perry County Disaster Relief Fund to support our neighbors affected by local disasters, including the recent flash flooding that devastated several of our communities. The fund’s first priority is responding to current flood relief needs, with grants directed to organizations providing immediate services and assistance within our county. Any funds not required for the current response will remain in the fund to support future disaster needs. Your gift helps ensure Perry County is prepared to respond to unforeseen crises—today and when the next need arises. Scan the QR code or visit: https://appalachianohio.org/fund/perry-county-disaster-relief-fund/ to give.

08/14/2026

Marigolds. Marigolds. And more marigolds! 🌞 There is going to be a lot of much-needed sunshine in tomorrow’s bouquets. See you at the Lancaster Farmers Market!

08/12/2026

We knew the storms would be bad. But we didn’t realize just how much damage we’d find when we got out to the field Tuesday morning and since.

With more than 6 inches of heavy rain and some seriously high winds over the past couple of days, the damage to the farm is hard to put into words. These photos honestly don’t do it justice.

A perfect crop of sunflowers DAYS from harvest, flattened. Weeks of plantings in the mud in an impossible tangle.

Our fall foliage crop of Mahogany Splendor mangled at its prime.

Our top-heavy marigolds, which still have weeks of cuttings ahead of them, drooping to the ground.

This is the worst weather-related crop damage we’ve experienced in 13 years on this farm. It’s heartbreaking to look at crops we’ve spent weeks nurturing and see them knocked down in a matter of hours.

But we also know, sitting on high ground, we got off relatively easy compared with many of our neighbors in Crooksville, Roseville, New Lexington and surrounding communities. Some have dealt with serious, even life-threatening, flooding, evacuations, and extreme damage to homes and property. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted, especially our fellow farmers.

If you’re in Perry County and have been affected by the flooding, please keep an eye on Perry County Emergency Management Agency for current information, but here are a few resources we gleaned:
🚨 The Perry County Fairgrounds is available as a shelter, operated by the Red Cross
🚨 The Perry County Health Department in New Lexington is coordinating donations of supplies, if you have gift cards, water, non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, personal care items, etc.
🚨 The Perry County Dog Shelter is helping with displaced animals. They take financial donations, along with dog/cat food, paper towels, etc.

If you know of other local resources helping people affected by the floods, please share that information in the comments. Let’s help get the word out.

As for us, we’ll take a deep breath, put on our boots, and start figuring out what can be salvaged.

Farming is sometimes growing things. Sometimes it’s picking up the pieces.

08/07/2026

🎉 July Member of the Month announcement! 🎉

Mindy was the lucky winner of our July Member of the Month drawing! She stopped in to pick up her $25 Keller Market House gift card and share what she loves about the Keller Market House and Lancaster Farmers Market, as well as some of her favorite products. Here’s what Mindy had to say:

💚 “The Lancaster Farmers Market and Keller Market House each hold a very special place in our community and in my heart! What an extraordinary demonstration of local creativity, food, and fellowship right here in Lancaster! Becoming a volunteer at the Farmers Market has made my experience even more meaningful.”

And here’s a bit about her favorite products (although she said it was so hard to choose just a few!)

💚 “The flowers from Down the Road Farm are incredibly unique, fresh, and can brighten anyone's day! And best of all, they are grown at a local farm by farmers who really care about what they do!

Big Axe Spices are a staple in my pantry! I love them because the spices are salt free, but still pack a lot of flavor! My favorite varieties are Smoked and Mega Flavor.

The Flour Garden sourdough bread is one of my absolute favorites! It is beautiful and it sells out for a reason--it's delicious!“

Thank you so much for being a Friend of the Market, Mindy! (And an awesome volunteer!) We hope you enjoy your gift card!

08/07/2026