Frequently Asked Questions

Organics

We are not organic, but we do use many pesticide free practices like compost for fertilizer, and natural/biological controls for insects and diseases, like non-toxic plant derived insecticides that kill insects after they eat it, or beneficial predator insects, and other organic products for controlling diseases and pest. Conventional pesticides are only used as a last resort, to prevent a crop from being a total loss. This is determined by intensive field scouting, and finding heavy infestations.

Our crops

We grow for quality and flavor, not just for yields. By taking care of our soil and planting the right varieties, our brix levels (sugar levels) and shelf life of our fruits and vegetables are often superior to our competitors. The crops we grow include: sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, summer and winter squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, honeydew, green beans, peas, pumpkins, Indian corn, gourds, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and lettuce.

Varieties/hybrids

We continually trial new varieties each year and also stick with a few time tested varieties. From our extensive experience tasting and growing many different varieties, we feel that many of the hybrids that we plant are the best that any seed company has to offer. We choose ours for quality and flavor. We purchase our seeds from three of the largest seed companies in the eastern U.S.: Rupp Seed, Seedway, and Seigers. The hybrids we use were developed by companies like; Rogers, Seminis, Sakata, Hollar, Syngenta, Mesa Maize, Centest, Illinois Hybrids, and BHN Hybrids.

About our farm

My parents, Jim and Susan Wish, grain farm about 1,500 acres, and the vegetables are raised on 75 of those acres. The farm market started as three acres of sweet corn sold from the family garage in 1997, and now fully supports my family year round. It takes up to 35 seasonal employees to harvest and sell all of the produce. We market our produce to over 12 Farmers' Markets. We have two retail stands; one in Bellefontaine and one in Marysville.

Greenhouse Tomatoes

Our greenhouse tomatoes are vine ripened and picked 3 times per week. They are delicious and full of flavor like a tomato should be, not like traditional hothouse tomatoes that are shipped in to the supermarkets half green. These are just like your own garden tomatoes, but grown under cover to ripen them early, and to protect them late in the season. While everyone is waiting on their own tomatoes, we would like to offer you a local, homegrown product that is top quality and guaranteed to be good.

Relish

Our relish is made by us in our own certified kitchen on our farm, in small batches of less than 1000 jars, four times per year, all from our own homegrown vegetables.

Pricing

Some of our prices may be higher than what you may find in grocery stores or at our competitors market. We believe are prices are set appropriately to reflect the quality of our produce, and the cost to raise the produce. There is a very small profit margin in raising fruits and vegetables. Most people do not realize the overhead cost that are involved, the input cost to grow them and the human labor to get the produce from field to consumer. Our produce is guaranteed to meet or exceed your expectations for flavor and freshness.