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The Land Our farm is located about 10 minutes north of Granville, Ohio, in an area of rolling hills dotted with cool springs,
deep ravines, and rugged cliffs. The farm had been long-abandoned when we bought it. More than one family
over the last 150 years had exhausted themselves trying to farm this hilly, beautiful land. We
have reclaimed the pastures after years of abuse and neglect. We have built a new house and new barns, which blend in
nicely with the restored 1800's house, barn and sheds. Our land is part farm, part garden, and part nature preserve.
It is a pleasant place to live and work.
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An early spring view of Sycamore Hollow
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Making
maple syrup in our home-made evaporator. It takes about
40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup!
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Learning
to live on a farm Our family had no experience farming when we decided to reclaim
Sycamore Hollow Farm. Our goal was to learn the art of managing a small, diversified farm. We wanted
to be kind to the land, after generations of abuse and neglect. We wanted to learn to make it productive, while preserving
its wildness and natural beauty. We have made progess. Our pastures are improving.
We make our own maple syrup. We fill our freezers and shelves with food from our garden. We heat our house and
hot water with our own wood. While we have settled ourselves on the land, we have left room
for the wild animals and plants that were here before us. We see turkeys and deer regularly. It is fun to see
how many wildflowers and trees we can identify.
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Our Hope We hope that our children are learning skills and values that will remain with them throughout their lives.
Living on a farm is a lot of work. There are many things that have to get done, and sometimes it seems like there isn't
enough time to do it all. At the same time, there is great joy here. There is nothing
like the pleasure of a job done right. It is good to eat food that is good for you, and came from your own labor.
Sycamore Hollow Farm gives us the opportunity to work and play together as a family. What could be better?
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Bringing
the last load of hay to the barn, as clouds roll in
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