Century-old farms still making their mark
By TIFFANY EDWARDS
Advocate Reporter
NEWARK — Agriculture has come a long way since Licking County’s first farmers cleared the land and harvested crops by hand. Modern farmers have the benefit of advanced equipment and fertilizers but face new challenges — a global market, demand for ethanol, rising costs and the need for supplemental income.
“Farming was a way of life,” said Pat Deering, information assistant for the Soil and Water Conservation District. “Now most people can’t make a living by just farming.”
The district will recognize the county’s century farms, those that have endured and those that have adapted, at a breakfast Thursday. These farms have been owned by the same families for at least 100 years.
The district received Century Farm applications from 55 owners. Based on the information submitted, the oldest farms in Licking County could be the Philipps-Rees farm in Granville Township and Blue Jay Acres Farms in Franklin Township. Because some farms did not participate, the information is not complete.
“We’re taking people’s word,” Deering said. “We don’t have time or information to verify everything.”
She is compiling the available histories into a scrapbook that will be sold by the office and distributed to places such as the library and county commissioners’ office.
‘24-7 kind of commitment’
History provided by the Philipps family indicates Thomas Philipps purchased 800 acres in Granville Township on Sept. 4, 1801. His traveling partner Theophilus Rees bought 1,100 acres in the southern portion of the township. The Rees family moved to Ohio in 1802 and Philipps moved to the area in 1806.
Thomas donated some of the property for a cemetery and schoolhouse/church. The cemetery still bears the Philipps name, as does a local road.
The 23-acre farm is now used to grow hay, said owner Kenneth Philipps, 75. His father had some cows, horses and an orchard, and built a house there in 1920.
“We had a good time (on the farm). Of course, we had to work, work in the garden, husk the corn,” he remembered.
Pat Walrath, owner of Blue Jay Acres Farms, has traced her family’s history back to the arrival of George Ernst in Licking County in 1805. However, the deed for the original 50-acre farm wasn’t filed until 1809.
An only child, Walrath learned the ropes of farming from her father, Milford Tavener, who farmed up until his death in 1997. They raised cattle and grew corn, oats and hay.
“We were partners. I had been obsessed with cows every since I was little,” she said. “He treated me as an equal. He had a huge amount of common sense. He treated every living thing with respect.”
Today, Blue Jay Acres includes 250 acres, where she, husband Bob and daughter Kaitlin run a Simmental cow-calf operation. In addition, she is a substitute teacher and has served various roles for the Farm Service Agency, Licking County Extension, 4-H and the Ohio Simmental Association. Bob works for Owens Corning Science and Technology in Granville.
“We’re a lot busier (than our ancestors). They didn’t have all the distractions we have,” Walrath said, adding the needs of the farm, however, haven’t changed. “It’s a 24-7 kind of commitment. You have to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice if something goes wrong.”
New challenges for farmers
Jim Kiracofe, SWCD district program administrator, said the dynamics of farming have changed immensely in the past few years. Farmers are receiving more for their products, but the input costs have also escalated dramatically. Because costs are greater, farming is riskier and efficiency is becoming ever more important.
“The middle-size farm is the one that is at risk of survival,” he said.
Large farms can take advantage of economies of scale, while small specialty farms benefit from changing consumer attitudes.
“A lot of people are wanting to know where their food comes from and who grows that food,” Kiracofe said.
Some county farmers have signed agricultural conversation easements to ensure the agricultural use of their land will continue. The Long Farm owned by Harold Powers and the Hughes Farm owned by Kayla Hughes are two such examples.
Others keep the tradition going by leasing their land to another farmer.
Tokens of history still dot the 1831 farm of Lynn and Betty Hatfield near Croton. The corner stone of the log cabin built by Lynn’s ancestor James Hatfield is surrounded by a fence to show respect. The 1877 home built by James’ son David still stands across the field; its intricate porch looks the same today as when the Hatfield family orchestra played from the roof in the early 1900s.
Today, however, the fields are leased and the “house that David built” is home to offices for Hatfield’s SBC recycling company. An ardent conservationist whose no-till and waterway management practices earned him several agricultural awards, Hatfield started the successful recycling company in 1992 to recycle newspapers into bedding for his cattle.
Even though Hatfield no longer farms himself, he oversees his land and hasn’t ruled out jumping back in. He makes sure to pass on the love of agriculture to his grandchildren, who often tag along in the fields.
“We really do strive to tell our grandchildren how we got to this point,” Lynn said. “These kids need to know where this stuff comes from. It doesn’t come from a grocery store.”
Tiffany Edwards can be reached at (740) 328-8544 or taedward@newarkadvocate.com.
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