Rockwell Feeds
The Woodward family: Thad & Sheila Woodward, Bob Woodward and Tracey Froelich, graciously allowed me to interview them about their family farm. I had set out to interview farms and to then write an article about the history of farming in our community.
My goal was to connect us back to our roots, to connect us to a time when we felt peace and honor for all the hard work that was done.
Through my first interview, I found that those things still exist and alongside of it is a love for the family and the land. I also learned a lot about our community, the connections between farmers, and the changes that could be coming for the local farmer. What stood out the most to me, however, was the survival of the rural farming family.
When asked “what does the Woodward farm (better known as Hermit Hill) look like today?” Thad said “It’s like every farm, I guess. We are trying to figure out a way to keep the farm in the family.”
Together as a family they have brainstormed practical ideas and new dreams to accomplish this. They have tried many things including putting in storage units, renting the farm out, starting a head of cattle, selling produce, and planting Christmas trees as a long-term investment.
In all these efforts, a more intimate and beautiful thing has grown and that’s family. Thad is reflecting on this and says “I guess that’s probably the best part about this whole project. It involves everybody. This (the farm) is kind of the watering hole for the family.”
We talked about the “watering hole” later in the interview; specifically, what all of them seem to be getting from being a part of this venture.
Tracey has taken on the produce aspect of the farm. She shared with me about what inspired her to try a produce stand.
“I have always had a garden of my own and I guess my frustration was if I didn’t have enough of my own, I could never find anywhere to buy bushels of tomatoes that were home grown. So, I thought if I have need, I bet there are other people who would love to buy larger quantities,” she said.
This thought turned into a very large project which included planting more than 3,500 tomato plants in 2020.
As Tracey explained the process and the history on having a produce stand at Hermit Hill, she began to share her appreciation for the process.
You can see her love for what she is doing and the hope in the seeds she is planting in the ground and the character that is growing in the lives of her children through hard work.
“I think we have an appreciation for it too… sometimes when I’m down there in that garden I just get tears in my eyes. I just look at the hill and I love it. Being able to do that and we appreciate it.” She added later, “I appreciate that it gives my kids the opportunity to earn their own money and earn it by working hard. It gives them the opportunity to see that something comes out of that hard work.”
When discussing the ups and downs of farming, Bob shared what he has been experiencing through his participation in this venture.
“You kind of feel like you are in the same place all the time but if you really step back and look at it there’s not necessarily financial things you can see but there is family and a cultural, educational aspect of learning happening. You can’t always see the reward right away,” he said.
That is a great lesson for our culture today. With our society being more and more expectant of instant gratification, the lessons that they seem to be learning on the farm we all could use in our lives as well.
Thad and Sheila commented several times how they have enjoyed watching the farm be the place where everyone gathers. I can see that this is what they cherish most about this experience. They have had the great privilege of watching their children and grandchildren work hard at something to benefit the whole.
“We are fortunate to have all our children living within a radius of 3-6 miles” says Sheila.
We also talked about their children being a part of the changes in farming in our community. What was once known most for its dairy, Hermit Hill is known for its produce and beef now.
“People these days want to know where their food is coming from. You trust the local people,” Sheila said.
Thad adds “Especially since this COVID thing, I think people are getting closer to the farm. They are getting closer to the food source which is important.”
This has been a shift in recent years, an increased desire to know where your food is coming from and buy from people you know and trust.
As I listened to the family reminisce over all the past stories and future hopes, I found that one comment from Thad summed up the resolve of the local farmer: “If the beef cattle marketing works, it’s probably one of the keys to being able to keep the farm going on. If it doesn’t work, well, we’ll grow carrots I guess. Whatever it takes is what I’m going to do. Doesn’t matter what it takes.” They are going to do whatever it takes.
We ended the interview discussing the Canton community and what it means to the farmers in this area.
Sheila said “You know the people around. You know who they are, their families, and if something goes wrong with that family or they have a disaster, everybody is out to help. Just like when we had our barn fire.”
She said she was so surprised with how many people came to help.
“It was an outpouring of love from the community. Most of the people in the area feel like that, we take it for granted sometimes.”
Thad says “The ties around here with business people and families is almost an emotional thing. It’s more than just knowing who someone is. You probably helped raise their kids and didn’t know it.”
As I listened to them share their stories over the years and their connection to the community, farmers, businesses and to my family’s feed mill, I found not only the history of who we were as a community but of who we still are and can be.
We are a community with a rich history and a rich future. As a community we will work together to keep it that way through love and hope just as this small farm is doing.