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.

FAMILY FARM TOUR ON OCTOBER 18TH

Looking for a free, fun-filled, family activity during the beautiful fall season in Kinzua Country?

Mark your calendars for October 18 as the perfect time to get out and explore some of Warren County’s agricultural businesses. The 2nd annual Family Farm Tour is designed for the public to experience agriculture up close and personal via self-guided farm tours.  More...

Connections: Crickets
By Nancy Yergin, MS, RD, LDN, Forest County Penn State Extension

It’s now officially Fall and the sound of crickets is heard throughout the long afternoons and evenings. Providing an outdoor chorus, crickets’ “songs” are an acceptable part of our autumn ritual. Get a chirping cricket in your house and the noise can drive you crazy. I remember my mother, armed with a fly-swatter and a can of insecticide, crawling around on her hands and knees trying to find a cricket that serenaded us for a week.

The scientific term for the process of "chirping" is called stirdulation. Crickets don't actually have voices; rather, the "chirping" sound you hear is the male cricket rubbing his wings together. According to the scientists, crickets "chirp" for three different reasons: (1.) To attract a female cricket (2.); to impress the female after he has already gotten her attention; and (3.) to communicate that other males should stay away from “his” turf.

Crickets are among the most ubiquitous insect species in the world. Different species of crickets inhabit virtually every habitat on earth. In some cultures, they are enjoyed as a snack. Around my neighborhood, crickets are considered pests when they invade our turf.

House crickets may spend their entire lives inside buildings, or in basements - where they are considered nuisances. House crickets are often found in warm places where there is enough moisture and food. House crickets often find the insides of houses a great place to spend the winter. They are especially attracted to areas near fireplaces, kitchens, water heaters, and any other place in which heat may be radiated. Crickets often lay their eggs inside buildings or houses.

Field crickets are less likely to be found inside houses. They live in fields, pastures, and meadows. Field crickets feed on crops and can sometimes become big pests. Both house crickets and field crickets are found in tall grass, mulch piles, weeds, rock piles, and logs in the wild.

Thanks to University of Nebraska Extension (at http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/cricket.shtml ), I’ve found the best way to rise to cricket home-invasion. The first step in cricket control is to check around the outside of your home and caulk or repair cracks and other spaces you find that may allow crickets to get inside. Look carefully around your home's foundation, doors and ground-level windows.

 You can discourage crickets from entering your home by keeping nearby weeds and grass cut short and by removing piles or stacks of wood, brush, bricks and similar objects that are close to your house. This minimizes their hiding places and reduces the number of crickets that get inside.

 If they get inside, don't reach for the aerosol insecticide. You can easily catch crickets by placing sticky glue boards (available at hardware stores, usually for mouse control) in corners of the room. Within a day or two, your crickets will be caught in the glue board.

If you've got a chirping cricket inside the house, pour a small amount of cornmeal in the center of a glue board and place it near where you hear the chirping sound. Within a day or two, you should have gotten your cricket.

Questions or comments on this or other columns? Nancy Yergin can be reached via email at NLY1@PSU.EDU.

More Connections articles.

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JUST FOR TEACHERS
Natural Resource Websites - Lesson Plans and Resource Materials for Educators.

Made in Warren County - Maple Syrup - Teacher Resources and Links to Lesson Plans for Kindergarten through Fifth

WARREN COUNTY AGRICULTURE RESOURCES
AG RESOURCES - a directory of agencies, organizations and other resources supporting agriculture in Warren County.  This is an on-line adaptation of Services for Agricultural Producers, a pamphlet produced and sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension, Warren County Conservation District, Warren County Farm Bureau, Warren County Commissioners and Natural Resources Conservation Service.