Murray Hill Farm - About Us

About Murray Hill Farm

Our farm is located in Huron County, Ohio. My name is Chuck Murray and I moved here in 2001 and purchased 35 acres of what was once the original homestead for a 500+ acre working farm. There is a long history of farming at the property going back to the early settlers of Clarksfield Township in the 1800's. Crops, dairy cows, hogs, cattle, chickens and horses were raised here. It was one of the first sustainable farms in the country.

Our property consists of 35 acres of very fertile soil from previous years of animal grazing. The land had not been farmed for almost 20 years when it was purchased. It is very rich in compost, tiled and full of nutrients. There are 25 acres of tillable land and pastures of which we use between 2 and 5 acres for our vegetable crops. The remaining acres consist of the house, creek, flower beds, outbuildings, flower beds, and a rolling front yard. We grow our veggies naturally as nature intended. Potatoes, sweet corn, asparagus and squash are grown in fields while our specialty vegetables and garlic are grown in raised beds.

SHEEP

We raise Navajo-Churro sheep on pasture and shear them twice a year. My wife Suzy cards the wool after cleaning it. She then spins it into yarn and knits a variety of handmade wool crafts. Her father, Dallas, is a weaver.

CHICKENS

We raise between 100 and 200 egg laying chickens on pasture. They are free to roam as they please. We mainly raise Americauna chickens for their blue eggs. We also raise Buckeyes, Dominiques, Salmon Faverelles, Welsummers and Cuckoo Marans. We sell the eggs at the farmer's markets, to private customers and through our CSA.

GUINEA HENS

We raise guinea hens for their eggs, (smaller and sweeter than chicken eggs), and for their excellent watch dog abilities. We enjoy watching the guineas scurrying across the yard into the fields and pastures. They get along great with the chickens and stay in the same coops with them. Guinea hens love eating bugs and help keep the pest populations to a minimum which decreases the need to use harsh insecticides.

PART TIME FARMERS

We are part time farmers and work from home at our paying jobs. I've owned an advertising agency since 1983 and Sue works in information technology on a contract basis. We hire seasonal help at the farm when needed but most of the farming is done by Sue and I. We both enjoy working outdoors and the solitude in the country.

FARMERS MARKETS

Murray Hill Farm has been selling produce at area farmers markets since 2002. We currently are members of Kamms Corners Farmers Market in Cleveland and plan to be at one or two markets more this year. We also sell our eggs, honey, pickles, maple syrup, hot sauces, salsa and more year round.

CSA PROGRAM

In 2008 we started our CSA Program, and have a growing list of customers. This kind of "subscription" program allows us to offer investors "shares" in the farm. With the money we receive from subscribers we are able to finance needed improvements to the farm and offset the cost of materials and labor. Subscribers get the "cream of the crop" all season long in the form of regular deliveries of veggies in season, eggs and all natural chicken, pork and beef. This year we are also offering a "Veggies Only" subscription. To learn more about our CSA and become a member, Click Here.