Way down in the southern tier of New York state, just north of the New Jersey border, there’s a small place called Sugar Loaf Village. The hamlet sits in a valley, in between green fields and mountains –– an unexpected sight after miles of rural pastures and highways.
Sugar Loaf bills itself as a home to entrepreneurs and artists ––an inspiration to the likes of painters, photographers, innkeepers and soapmakers. Business owners thrive off of tourists who visit the rural character that surrounds Sugar Loaf, which people like Bob Scheuermann and his wife, Sally, provide.
Scheuermann’s Farm and Greenhouse is situated a couple miles north of Sugar Loaf. It’s a little off the beaten path, but people still drive for fresh flowers and vegetables May through November. They grow a little bit of everything.
Bob Scheuermann is a fourth generation farmer. He took the 35-acre farm over in 1970. He’s in the “black dirt” region of Orange County. His father was in the wholesale onion business and Bob started out with the same crop when he took the farm over. But after a series of poor growing conditions and a hailstorm in 1986 that claimed the whole crop, Scheuermann decided to diversify.
He started planting flowers, and he built a greenhouse. At that time, he also started selling produce from his house and farm. “I only raise what I can sell and sell what I raise,” Scheuermann said. At the road, a farmhouse, stand, barns, greenhouses and an arboretum greet visitors. But recently, Scheuermann has begun adding more attractions to his property. He created an open field in the middle of his farm. Just behind the farm stand, there lies about five acres of grass that could be mistaken for a golf course fairway. The strip of lawn sinks down just enough to catch a breeze away from trees on an otherwise still day. In the center of that lawn is an American flag and surrounding that flag is about 800 flowers. On both sides of the lawn are planted crops and tilled soiled. Hot air balloons land in the spot through the summer months.
He and his wife planted the flowers, trees and perennials around the flagpole to give people an idea of how certain plants look together. It’s also great therapy for both of them, he said. “I don’t want to take the farm to the people. I want to take the people to the farm,” Scheuermann says.
Last year, the local community approached the family about hosting a concert. A band set up a stage near the flagpole and about 200 people attended the event. No, they didn’t cash in a lot of sales that night but a few more people learned who they were and walked through the greenhouses.
And no one left a mess behind. This year the family will play host to another concert. Along with the produce they sell at the stand, Scheuermann also sells to restaurants. There are about 12 local restaurants they deal with and their owners keep coming back for more. They pick the broccoli in the morning and it’s delivered the same day. The restaurant serves it that evening and customers tell the chefs it’s the best broccoli they ever had because it is so fresh.
Herbs, tomatoes, red onions, yellow onions, peppers and sweet corn are also included in the deliveries he makes. In the spring, geraniums and impatiens fill the greenhouses. “People won’t spend $3 on a 10-pound bag of onions, but they’ll buy 10 hanging baskets at $16 a piece,” Sally Scheuermann said.
The move away from onions is a break in tradition for the Scheuermann family and for the region. For years, Orange County has had a reputation for growing tasty, sizable onions. Though many farmers are still growing onions around Scheuermann, he’s taking advantage of the tourists and new residents his area is attracting. The Warwick Summer Arts Festival and the local apple festival are two events that draw people to his farm.
Warwick—the town where Scheuermann is located—is growing. He and his wife paid $16,000 for their first house in 1970 and today, they say it would sell for about $240,000. Many people from New York City are looking to buy land outside of the metropolis, especially since Sept. 11. The Hudson Valley region, situated about an hour away from the city, is where many are looking to buy.
Moving toward flowers and expanding the farm to include other vegetables would not have been possible 30 years ago, Scheuermann said. “Customers weren’t landscape conscientious. They were buying the 50-pound bags of onions,” Scheuermann said. The newcomers who need plants for their new homes are good for business. The couple also enjoys what they refer to as their little slice of heaven in the center of his field.
“Once you build it, they will come,” Scheuermann said.
