Inspiring Conversations with Bart Alcorn of Eddy Fruit Farm

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bart Alcorn.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Lexington, Kentucky, but I was raised in Kettering, Ohio. That is where I met my wife of 39 years, Janet. It was through Janet that I was introduced to the family business, Eddy Fruit Farm. Eddy Fruit Farm was established in 1869, and the founder, Clay Eddy Jr, still lives in the original farm house. We are going on 6 generations which makes us unique. I’ve been in the family for over 35 years and the best thing of all is seeing the next generation bring their children to the farm to keep the tradition going.

The orchard is 100 acres and we currently farm 35 acres. We are best-known for our apples, pears, and grapes, but we also grow peaches, plums, and berries. Over the years, the orchard has become a popular destination for Pick Your Own apples and grapes, we’ve expanded the market to include local maple syrup, honey and homemade jams and jellies, and we’ve added a hydroponic greenhouse. My brother-in-law, Tom, maintains the orchard, Janet manages the hydroponic greenhouse, and I oversee the market and organize seasonal activities and community outreach.

To accomplish our goals, we started planting new apple varieties, some that ripen in early Fall, and some in late October, which helps us to have a long picking season. Today we raise over 40 varieties of apples, pears, seedless grapes, and concord grapes. Our latest venture is our hydroponic greenhouse, where we grow tomatoes, lettuce, berries, cucumbers, and peppers that we sell in the market. In the Fall of the year, we invite school children out to the farm to go apple and grape picking, which is how I became known as “Farmer Bart”.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Agriculture always has its challenges. Some of our varieties of fruit are heartier than others and more likely to withstand changes in the weather, but others can be more difficult to maintain. Every year is different and we are continuously learning new things along the way.

Growing hydroponically has been our biggest challenge. When I started over 10 years ago there was not a lot of information available. We learned a lot through trial and error, and did a little better each year. Eventually, I made connection with The Ohio State’s Dept of Controlled Environment Agriculture, and they have been a great resource for help.

We’ve been impressed with Eddy Fruit Farm, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My main responsibility is to oversee everything that goes in and out of the market, organize seasonal events, and find ways to give back to the community that has supported us over all these years. We really wanted to create an environment where families can come and enjoy time together almost all year-round. In the Fall, we host groups of children – nursery school through kindergarten ages, to come to the Farm and go apple and grape picking. We end the trip with story time, where we teach them how apples grow. No matter what your age, being at the farm brings out the kid in everyone! Over the holidays, we sell Christmas trees, garland, and Janet’s famous chocolate covered gourmet apples. In the Spring we feature Eggshelland and more – which is a visual display of eggshells that we display leading up to Easter. Eggshelland and more is a well-known site in the Cleveland area and we were gifted this display to carry a tradition that has been going on for over 50 years.

In 2005, we started the Clay Eddy Fields 501(c)3, and repurposed some of the orchard to build our own baseball diamond and soccer field. The fields are home to youth teams in the area, and our local Special Olympic softball teams. The West Geauga Kiwanis Club , which I have been a member for over twenty years, was a very large part of this effort and provided a lot of help along the way.

In 2013 we started working with the Aktion Club, which is a service club for adults with developing disabilities. We help them raise money for different projects and initiatives, including selling candy bars, and painting soup bowls as a fundraiser. We’ve helped raise money for a portable wheelchair swing for our school, our dog warden medical emergency fund, and support for Hearts for Music, a music therapy program. We also do fun things like getting together and grilling hot dogs while we decorate our float for the fourth of July parade.

We also work with the Geauga Veteran’s food pantry to raise money to help buy fresh fruits and vegetables for veterans and their families, giving them consistent access to more nutritious foods every day of the month. When we started the pantry, we reached 25 families and we met in a parking lot. Today we help over 100 families each week and have a facility with a commercial kitchen and a meeting room where everyone can gather together.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Living and raising our 3 girls in Chesterland has been a blessing to Janet and I. We were able to bring them up in a close-knit community with great friends, families, and schools. We have worked together from supporting our business and building a better community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eddyfruitfarm.com/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/EddyFruitFarm