PRSRTD STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID COSHOCTON, OH PERMIT NO 302
FREE This issue of The Beacon is published in loving memory of John R. Eberwine From Mark, Nancy & Family
Volume 1, Number 5
Shining a Positive Light on Coshocton County
A Berry Good Time for All By Ginger Reiss
Pictured is Jenna Fowls of Warsaw, an employee of Carobeth. (Photo by Ginger Reiss)
Looking for a great family excursion? Our three children’s ages span twelve years, so our family’s problem has always been finding an outdoor activity appropriate and safe for everyone to enjoy, especially when inviting visiting grandparents, now in their seventies. If you find yourself in the same boat, look no further. On the southwest side of Coshocton County, you’ll find the answer off Pike Township Road 68… berry picking. Carobeth Berry Farm, owned by
Richard Funt, has 2 ½ acres of blue berries, black berries and raspberries ready – or soon-to-be-ready - for picking. Opening June 21st, the eleven year old farm, set on picturesque rolling hills, is a fine spot to spend a few hours with your family. The farm came into existence when owner Richard Funt, a berry veteran, decided to relocate from Pennsylvania to Ohio. The farm began with the first berry bushes – blueberries and blackberries – in 1999. Red and black
raspberries followed three to four years later, and the farm is continuing to expand. Funt experimented with yellow raspberries and even elderberries, but found that blue berries, black berries and raspberries seemed to do the best and meet his customers’ demands. Lots of folks ask Funt about the farm’s unusual name. The name of the farm is taken from joining Funt’s two daughter’s names: Caroline and Elizabeth, both now adults. One of the raspberry varieties planted is called
June 26 to July 16, 2008 the “Carolina,” but Funt assures his customers with a smile that that choice was just incidental. So how does he keep those berries in such good shape? The farm is able to keep top-quality stock by employing not only netting, but some creative ways of keeping pesky birds from stealing the succulent treats. Funt explains. “We use a combination of netting and bird calls to keep birds away,” he said. “But, trust me, it’s a never-ending battle.” Netting is probably 90%-plus effective, according to Funt, but can be difficult to remove without damaging the fruit. Using an electronic speaker system around the perimeter of the patches is also effective. With this system, Funt broadcasts distressed bird calls to scare birds. However, Funt must rotates the types of calls that are broadcast in order to keep a step ahead of the hungry, but clever birds. “We have a system that broadcasts distress calls of up to six different species. That takes care of most of the birds we have around here that would be tempted to come and feed,” he explains. The system also broadcasts the call used by a hawk when diving for prey, the hawk being a natural enemy of many of the feeding birds. Carobeth offers several varieties of berries timed to harvest throughout the summer months. “We have five varieties of blueberries this year,” explains Funt. “Some will be ready in late June and we’re planning to offer picking even into the first week of August.” Rasberries are available now, with the medium-sized Prelude berries. See CAROBETH on page 2
Next Issue of The Beacon will be on July 17th! Thank you, people of Coshocton County for reading The Beacon!
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