Homegrown at Maize Valley

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We like to say Maize Valley farm is the place to be – check out the list of produce we grow.

We are a family farm that grows a great deal of the produce that we sell in our market and winery. Local, homegrown, organic, natural and a whole host of words and descriptions are used by people to try and set themselves apart from each other. The difference is we actually grow many of these products. When we don't have something close by, we support Amish produce auctions. This source of locally grown produce is relatively new to the area and has helped sustain many of the small family oriented farmers in Ohio.

We do not grow everything we sell, but in season we produce a wide variety of vegetables in the various soils we have around the farm that best suits that particular crop. One advantage to our location is we are near what is referred to as the Hartville Swamps. This is an area of rich, black soils high in organic matter. These soils can be challenging to manage but produce the finest quality vegetables anywhere in the world. We have some of these soils located on our own farm where we grow outstanding sweet corn. Several other producers located just to the North of us specialize in white and red radishes, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, a selection of greens, peppers and more.

On some of our mineral soils we grow crops on what are called "raised beds."  We have a machine that forms the soil into a shape that it is elevated above the surrounding soil. Mineral soils are different from organic or muck soils in that they have a greater percentage of sand, silt and clay and less organic matter or decayed plant material. 

These raised beds are covered in plastic and have a drip tube inserted as well. The mulch helps to warm the soil and keep weeds under control. The drip tube is a plastic tube with small holes that deliver water and food to the plants. This system helps us to use fewer crop protection products and conserve water and fertilizer. We can give the plants what they need, where they need it, when they need it. Cucumbers, peppers, squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, and more are some of the crops we grow using this method of crop production.