Fruitful Hills Farm Visit - Hoop House

Community Supported Agriculture -

We had a wonderful day Saturday touring Fruitful Hills Farm! The Frantz family was so welcoming! We signed up and purchased a full-share CSA (produce share) from the Frantz family in March. We will receive produce weekly May - November.

Our farmers live a modest life, in the tradition of their faith - no motor vehicles, electricity, or telephones. The Frantz home is lovely and situated on beautiful rolling hills with trees and wide open spaces. We toured their home and took a wagon ride around their property. We saw the hoop house where some of the produce is grown, including heirloom tomatoes, some of which we will be receiving soon. The hoop house was destroyed earlier this year in a storm. Joanna Frantz (farm wife and mother) writes a weekly newsletter to all of us. Se described in one of the newsletters how their community pulled together to rebuild the hoop house.

The hoop house is 48' X 150'. After it was destroyed, the young people of their community came to the Frantz farm and pulled all of the nails from the lumber so the boards could be reused.
On a different day, 30 men from the Frantz's community as well as Amish men from surrounding communities came to the farm for a "hoop house raising." The hoop house was rebuilt and ready to go in no time! As you can see, there are plenty of supports and thriving, beautiful tomato plants.