Holmes County Family Farm Field Days leaves a lasting impression

BALTIC – Last weekend, my wife, Jean, and I were invited to speak at the 18th annual Family Farm Field Days in Holmes County where we gave a talk on monarch butterflies.

While we’ve done this talk many times before, at schools, churches and other events, this time was different. Sure, we got our point across that we need to plant more milkweed and pollinator plants to help the monarch population, but what Jean and I learned from the day spent at the Paul and Rebecca Nisley family farm was way more important.

You see, on that day we were the minority. We were some of only a handful of English in a sea of Amish families, enjoying a summer day and supporting several worthy causes. And while Jean and I had enough to deal with in getting ready for our talk, it was easy to see the theme of the day was awareness in our everyday activities, our farming practices and our recreational endeavors.

As John Lorson, who led a nature walk, reiterated over and over, everything you do in nature has a consequence – some are good, some are bad.

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People gather at farms annually; event draws thousands of visitors

Family Farm Field Days is an annual Amish event, held for two years in a row at an Amish farm in Holmes or surrounding counties (mostly Holmes), then the next two years at a new farm. By all accounts, Family Farm Field Days Chairman AJ Miller said this year’s event “was and unbelievable success.”

There was a good crowd for Friday night’s activities, but then on Saturday, the Nisley farm hillsides were covered with hundreds and hundreds of bicycles and buggies, and only a few cars and trucks. The estimated crowd was 5,500 people.

There was no entry fee, but boxes were strewn around the grounds for those who wanted to donate to the cause. All the food was by donation, where the proceeds go to help with special education classes at local Amish schools.

Lines at lunchtime were two-four people deep and 200-300-feet long, but they moved quickly as thousands got pasture-raised non-GMO chicken and hamburger sandwiches, organic toppings, all-natural buns, Holmes County cheeses, good old-fashioned Amish noodles and potato salad, and kettle-cooked beans simmered over a wood fire. And, of course, pie.

Fun for all ages, but main attraction in information gained at presentations

While there were activities for the children (petting zoo, swings, slides, pony rides, a maze), and nearly 100 farm-related vendors set up, the main attraction was the many talks put on at the beekeeping, homemakers, farmstead, natural resources and keynote tents. There was everything from learning how to raise market lambs to controlling mites in your beehive.

You could sit in on a talk about raising Kunekune pigs (grazing pigs that grow on low inputs), find out how to improve your farm pond, cure your own meat, make your own knives, learn timber framing basics, manage the timber on your property, and tips on building enthusiasm in your children.

On the main stage, the keynote speaker was Marvin Eash, out of Indiana, who talked on “farming with an unfair advantage.” And, that’s just scratching the surface, as there were talks scheduled every hour in all the tents, not to mention nature, pasture, butterfly, bird and timber walks, and panel discussions on a wide variety of topics.

Grass-based agriculture, low-energy and low-industrial way of farming

It’s all in an effort to live up to the Family Farm Field Days mission statement - “... to provide (an) educational format for grass-based agriculture that supports low-energy and a non-industrial way of farming; encourages family lifestyles that promote cohesive, economical and healthy rural living skills; and seeks to build morale and enthusiasm in the farming community.”

Jean and I saw that firsthand, from the families to the hosting farm, from inquisitive cows to the smiling children, from the folks who sat in on our talk, to the many volunteers, committee members and sponsors who pulled the event off, it was an amazing show of commitment to a lifestyle most of us don’t fully understand – but we should.

As Jean mentioned in her talk, the monarch butterfly is like a poster child for the eco system, as it goes, so goes nature. The monarch only asks for two things – milkweed and pollinator plants, yet we’ve plowed under fields of wild flowers for more soybeans and corn, turned countryside into strip malls and more housing, and killed milkweed with pesticides and herbicides. We need to be more aware of our actions and the consequences of those actions.

We could learn a lot from the Amish and Family Farm Field Days.

Mark your calendar for next year's event

The event will once again be held at the Nisley Farm in Baltic in 2023. Mark your calendar for July 14-15.

DRAWING WINNER – After our talk, we pulled a name out of jar of those who registered to win a drawing for eight potted swamp milkweed plants. Giving one plant to eight people would jump-start one’s milkweed patch, but one plant would not be enough to support more than one caterpillar should a monarch lay an egg or two on it.

So, we gave all eight to one person, and as it often happens, a child’s name was drawn, with Jared Luke Troyer (his dad put his name in) winning the plants.

Outdoor correspondent Art Holden can be reached at letsplabal@yahoo.com .

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Holmes Family Farm Field Days draws crowd in the thousands