My parents, Ann and Joe Fischer, have over 20 acres of property, with a large array of flora and fauna, both natural and maintained by man (and woman). According to the former owner Jim Hanna, serious consideration was given to splitting the land into multiple plots for a housing development, and Dover Downs also approached him regarding using some of the land to make a parking lot for the NASCAR races. I for one am glad that those things did not happen, and so is Hanna, who said that he “can’t think of any folks” he’d “rather see have the place” than my parents.
Just in the last few days I have seen numerous types of birds (including an apparently injured great blue heron), rabbits, countless grown frogs, tadpoles, flies, and dragonflies. Day or night, they can be found. There are also catfish which Hanna’s neighbor stocked over 10 years ago, and it’s not uncommon for there to be visits from foxes, geese, deer, and many other creatures.
Fischers’ Farm is the commercial operation which my parents maintain all by themselves, while at the same time maintaining the rest of the property. Apples, blueberries, blackberries, plums, pears, and grapes are sold in the summer and fall currently, and then Christmas trees are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The land is flexible though, as Hanna raised everything from goats and cattle to peaches and nectarines
Besides the actual farming, my mother really enjoys the business side of it. This includes marketing, dreaming up brochures and recipe handouts, and cute names for the products. “Going to the farmer’s markets in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, and providing customers with personal service and a good learning experience about what they are purchasing“ is one of the parts that both of them enjoy the best, according to my mother. “That philosophy applies to the customers who come to the farm to buy fruit or Christmas trees as well”. Unfortunately it can’t last forever. “Our feeling about the property is that it is a lot of work” she continues. “And it wouldn’t be what it is without the work. And eventually we’ll get to the point where we won’t be able to do it…“ . Hopefully at that point someone who cares about it as much as my parents do takes it over.
Red-winged black bird
Frogs at night in Claire and Nathaniel's pond
Bowl of blueberries fresh picked by my mother, Ann Fischer
Blackberry ripening
Jim Hanna talks about the farm
My parents, Ann and Joe Fischer
