History of the Farm
The Hibner farm in Clay Township, Auglaize County, Ohio was settled in 1858 by my great grandfather. My grandfather and father were both born, lived and worked on the farm their entire lives. I was reared on the farm but couldn’t wait to be gone! However, as time went by, it became clear to me that I left the best behind me. I made the decision that at some point I would return
to the dairy farm but do a different kind of farming: fruits, vegetables and flowers. After much too long I was finally able to move back in March 2012. I was finally HOME in every sense of the word. I formed Hibner Family Farm LLC and began a new life. The Gardens
A small orchard has been planted – five kinds of apples including one I remember when growing up -- Yellow Transparent (my mother made the best applesauce from it) and the Spitzenberg which is a heirloom variety and is rumored to have been Thomas Jefferson’s favorite. I also planted apricots, peaches, sour cherries and nectarines. It will take a couple of years for them to produce. As with anything in nature, the garden is a constantly revolving, renourishing organism. I use organic soil amendments, i.e., compost, various kinds of composted manure, and aged straw. This constantly changes the environment for the unwanted insects. I want to welcome beneficials. I use row covers to keep bad insects away from the produce. However, when flowers are produced I must uncover to allow for pollination. I use many raised beds, This permits those of us who have bad backs or knees to garden to the fullest extent. Additionally, I am planting flowers in the garden interspersed with the vegetables to draw the pollinators and assist with keeping insects in check. Of course, the glory of flowers makes everyone feel better. I will also have herbs to keep our taste buds happy as well as to keep some four-legged critters away from the garden. What is a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture (“CSA”) has been in existence for 25 years and is a way for consumers to work closely with the farmer who produces their fresh produce. A farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables. If fruit and flowers are available you may find these items in your share. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The consumer gets a wide variety of very fresh food on a weekly basis from June to the end of October. The farmer knows exactly what she needs to produce; can plan on how many successive plantings of certain vegetables are needed. For more information you can go to www.localharvest.org and click on the CSA tab.
