Homegrown Produce at Ebbert Farm Market
Fresh isn’t fresh unless it’s from Ebbert Farm Market
For 105 years, the Ebbert family, now in its third generation, has been selling its own produce for part of the year at Ebbert Farm Market. They’re not open when there is nothing to harvest. You’ll meet the friendly owners, Jerry and Lova Ebbert as well as their family when stopping here.
Jerry and Lova met when they were attending Ohio State University majoring in agriculture. They both grew up on farms and have learned to love life on the farm. Watching crops grow gives them satisfaction so they came back in 1992 to manage Ebbert Farm Market.
It’s a family-friendly place that welcomes you to the Ohio Valley with a store that is well-organized so easy to find what you are looking for. Their local produce is fresh and flavorful and there is quite a variety. The Ebberts enjoy the people who stop by to buy produce, visit, and tell encouraging stories of their lives. People are the best part for Jerry and Lova.
They specialize in producing fresh-picked sweet corn, vine-ripened tomatoes, plump tender green beans, cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins. Tomatoes are an abundant crop as they hand plant over 2,000 tomato plants each year.
Sweet corn comes from approximately 25 acres of corn which is planted in rotation so something is fresh every week to pick all season long. There are over 100 fields of corn, which are picked every morning rain or shine. They have been known to get stuck in the fields after a heavy rain but they are determined to have fresh corn available.
Five acres of pumpkins are planted each year. They produce over 50 pick-up truckloads, which are all sold at the Ebbert Farm Market in September and October.
When they say their produce is homegrown, they mean that it was planted, grown, and harvested on their farm by their family and a few part-time workers. They also carry fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown locally.
Everyone enjoys getting something from Walnut Creek when they don’t have time for a drive to Amish country. So the Ebberts have a nice stock of Amish jams, jellies, candies, and other goodies to complete their country atmosphere.
The approaching fall season is a special time to sell their pumpkins and have fun activities for the kids. Every year during October, approximately 1000 students get to see “life down on the farm” during Agri-Days. During this season they have thousands of pumpkins, corn stalks, straw, gourds, and beautiful hardy mums. Sweet apple cider with no preservatives is also a special treat.
The Ebbert Family was named Family of the Year by the Soil & Water Conservation because of their efforts to conserve and preserve nature’s soil and water supplies. They use nature’s natural defenses against pests and diseases but once in a while have to resort to spraying. Lova said, “We would never put anything on our crops that would harm our children.”
Their farm is not strictly organic but as close as they can get. Crop rotation and contour plowing are very important as they always let the land rest for a year between plantings.
While people have been coming here for fresh produce for over a century, Ebberts have recently added a new venue, The Market at Ebbert Farms. Here you can hold a wedding reception, holiday party, bridal or baby shower, or family gathering.
The event center is managed by Andy and Erica Barricklow, who are both Barnesville natives. Both of them graduated from Ohio State University and Erica is also a dentist in St. Clairsville. Andy has always had a passion for music and had his first DJ job at the age of thirteen. Since then, he has developed the business “Sound of Promise” which will make The Market a perfect spot for weddings and family events.
Visit Ebbert Farm Market just off old Route 40 at 68101 Ebbert North Rd in Saint Clairsville between I-70 Exits 218 and 220. Call 740-695-5619 if you want a large order or have any questions. They are open from about the middle of July until the end of October. Hours vary according to the season so call ahead.
You’re sure to come home with delicious fresh food that will delight your family and yourself. The Ebbert family adds the special touch of caring for their customers, who return again and again. Many return to just tell them a special story. Good treatment and good food create repeat customers.
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