Warren County Conservation District Newsletter - Fall 2008 (a PDF document, file size
- 1.2 M)
25 years of fruit and veggies
Wenzel’s Hatch Patch marks quarter century
as popular 'home-grown business' for produce
By CHUCK HAYES
chayes@timesobserver.com
Times Observer
Reprinted with permission.
It's
the ultimate "home-grown business."
Wenzel's Hatch Patch grows it and for 25 years "they
have come" from not only Warren County, but Jamestown, N.Y., and Forest,
McKean and Elk counties.
"People realize we have something unique and special
here," said owner Scott Wenzel. "It's been very gratifying."
The Hatch Patch "started small and we have just kind of
evolved from there," said Wenzel.
The Wenzel family has been farming in Warren County
since Wenzel's grandfather arrived in the predominantly German Dutch Hill
community in 1863.
Scott Wenzel's father, Richard, returned home after
World War II and "started small," growing strawberries on rented farmland.
In 1983, Warren State Hospital decided to sell surplus
property in North Warren and the Wenzels were able to purchase the land on
Hatch Run and the Hatch Patch was born.
Compared to farming on Dutch Hill, said Wenzel, the
prime, level land on Hatch Run "is like a piece of paradise. We were very
lucky Warren State Hospital sold us the property. This is a wonderful
location, prime farm land with lots of water. We're near the mall, but
segregated. We couldn't ask for a nicer location."
Because of the growing season required, strawberries
could not be offered that first year and the Wenzels turned to sweet corn
and fruit.
They quickly learned, "People in Warren County like
fresh and they know quality," said Wenzel.
For instance, if a spotted tomato happens to make its
way onto the stand at the Hatch Patch store, Wenzel said, "It's just going
to sit there. People know quality."
Wenzel said the Hatch Patch owes much of its success to
his mother, Elaine, who "spent years answering the phone and doing the
books."
And the popularity of the Hatch Patch has grown
steadily.
The "pick your own" strawberries
and pumpkins concept has caught on, said Wenzel.
"There is a savings for everyone," he said, "and there's
also a lot of enjoyment."
The Hatch Patch has effectively "eliminated the middle
man" from the agricultural business.
"We're fortunate that ninety-five percent of what we
grow, we retail here," said Wenzel. "We don't have to fill up a semi and
deal with a middle man."
But as any farmer knows, "Mother Nature is always in
charge," said Wenzel.
"What people don't understand is that a five-minute hail
storm can be devastating," he said.
Because of a dry spring this year, Wenzel said, "We had
to irrigate for twenty nights in May and June. That can be very
expensive."
Summer proved to be "a wonderful season for growing but
that can make harvesting, especially potatoes, very difficult. So you
always have Mother Nature to contend with."
The Hatch Patch is only part of the Wenzel operations.
The family now owns more than 1,110 acres in Warren
County, half of which is woodlot.
Livestock is raised at the original farmstead on Dutch
Hill and beef and pork are sold to the public.
In addition to strawberries and sweet corn, Hatch Patch
offers raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans and squash.
"We go from May to the week before Christmas," Wenzel
said. "Christmas trees and wreathes are our finale. There's
always something in season."