GREENFIELD — Variety truly is the spice of life for one central Indiana farm family. From an assortment of fruits and vegetables to flowers the Fair family takes their harvest directly to the consumer.
The seed for farming was planted early with Jim Fair.
"My great grandparents were farmers, and starting in the sixth grade, I worked for farmers all through school," Jim Fair said.
Jim, and his wife Vicki, have grown their Greenfield farm over the years.
“It was a great way to raise kids. I mean, everybody says keep them busy, keep them out of trouble, and that's exactly what we did," Vicki Fair said.
Like his dad, Jacob say he started working on the farm at an early age. "From the time I was little bitty. I was probably eight years old, first time I started really driving a tractor on the farm, helping out a lot."
Today, the trio, along with some other helpers, grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, flowers and grain. The variety keeps the family busy and Jim says each crop can bring its challenges.
“This year, we just tore out some early cucumbers because they had a powdery mildew.”
But in the same season, variety has also produced a bumper crop of strawberries for the Fairs! The u-pick strawberry patch has been a highlight for Vicki.
"Eating as many strawberries as they can, and picking as many as their little bucket will hold and just seeing them enjoy the day is really nice," Vicki Fair said.
Several days a week, the family divides up the selection of ripe produce to sell at several farmers markets.
"We've got several different varieties of tomatoes, and they're a firmer tomato, because the first thing everybody does at the farmers market is squeeze the produce, so they hold up really well," Vicki Fair said.
Jim says connecting directly with the people who buy their produce brings them back to the markets year after year.
"We've met a lot of wonderful people. We may not remember everybody's name, but we know each other's life stories," Jim Fair said.
A lot of the Fairs' own life story has revolved around long days growing and harvesting crops on the farm. Jim says each year is unique.
"What works this year may not work next year. You have good years and you have years that you're almost in tears because you lost so much money or a terrible crop, but we love it," Jim Fair said.
The Indiana weather plays a big part in those ups and downs. One way Jacob has worked to give the family a leg up on changing conditions is by building high tunnels.
The plastic cover provides shelter from extreme elements for some crops.
"We were able to plant this one into February, first of March. Whereas opposed our outside tomatoes, we couldn't plant them till beginning of May."
The Fairs are excited to be featured farmers at this year's Indiana State Fair.
They look forward to sharing their story and just maybe planting the seed with a few young Hoosiers who may grow-up to be farmers themselves.
"A lot of the older produce vendors are in that 50 to 70 year old range. Well you can't do this your whole life. We need a younger generation to come in there and do it," Jim Fair said.
