BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW) – Crawford County farmers are “planting the seeds” for a first-time event this April to tie in with this year’s most anticipated celestial event – the total solar eclipse.
Several local farms are hosting the Crawford County Farm Hop on Saturday, April 6. It’s a self-guided tour and farmer’s market designed to connect with the community and showcase a variety of meat, produce, and other products available in this area, according to one of the organizers, Scott McKnight.
So far, 10 farms have agreed to participate, said McKnight, who runs the lavender farm “Abundantly Blessed” in Bucyrus. The Farm Hop, he said, will be a prelude to the eclipse on April 8. “We’ve got farms of all sizes. Every farm’s going to be a little different as far as how they’re set up. We’re really trying to focus on the solar eclipse since that’s what’s happening.”
The Farm Hop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and digital maps will be available so that visitors, depending where they live, can start from any location on the tour, McKnight said. Farmers will be peddling everything from produce to pork rinds, honey to herbs. All farm-grown, all locally sourced.
One of the participants, Rus-Men Farms in Galion, is going all out with a three-day celebration April 6-8, complete with primitive campsites for rent, according to Mendy Sellman. The 350-acre farm is also setting up a picnic area and lining up food and games for adults and children alike, Sellman said.
“That way people can come from out of town and be in the path of totality,” said Sellman, a sixth-generation farmer. “I think it’ll be neat. I hope we get a good response from out of state people wanting to come enjoy the serenity of our farm and other people that just enjoy eclipse-type events.”
Sellman said about 90 campsites will be available for either tents or R.V.’s, along with porta-pots and portable shower units. Her husband, Russ, and other family members will be grilling their locally produced burgers and bratwurst, plus food trucks will serve French fries, desserts, and beverages.
Sellman said she hatched the idea for the farm hop a year ago when news surfaced about the eclipse. Since then, she said, farmers in Galion, Bucyrus, and Crestline have joined the bandwagon. “I just think our county has so much to offer people, and when we can pull together our ideas, our talents, and our skills, great things happen, and everybody benefits.”
The eclipse, which last happened in the United States on August 21, 2017, is expected to run a path from Mexico to Canada. In the U.S., the moon will move in front of the sun, causing darkness during the day and the opportunity to see the sun’s corona for up to four minutes and 26 seconds.
“We’ve tied the farm hop into that. I think it’ll be a neat way to kick it off,” Sellman said. “It’s becoming very evident that our community of producers and people of talent have something to offer. It will also make consumers aware of what’s available here.”
The group has set up a Facebook page promoting the event: Facebook.com/groups/CrawfordCountyOhioFarmHop. There’s no need to sign-up for the tour, but those who join the email list at any farm will be entered in a drawing for a gift basket of locally made products.