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Crossway Farms near Sidney is a family affair and Courtney Diltz, farm market manager, grew up learning about their farm and the community. Courtney’s parents, Jason and Angie Frantom, started Crossway Farms and have grown their family business substantially over the years. Courtney said the most rewarding part of working at Crossway Farms is getting to spend time with family and seeing goals and dreams come about over the years.

There’s something exciting happening at Crossway Farms during nearly every season of the year. Beginning in March, Crossway Farms offers fresh flowers, herbs, and vegetable starts out of their greenhouse. In the late spring and summer, they offer a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, many of which they grow themselves in Shelby County. Agritainment activities like a u-pick pumpkin patch and a corn maze are just a few of the things they bring to the community in the fall. Finally, they round out their season in November and December by selling fresh-cut Christmas trees and wreaths from an Ohio tree farm.

As Farm Bureau members, the Frantom family and their business represent a unique corner of Ohio agriculture.

“You tend to think of large grain farms [corn, wheat, soybeans], but as a fresh fruit and produce vendor and farmer, we’re kind of one of the few farms that do that sort of stuff,” Courtney said.

Another unique aspect of Crossway is the personal relationship developed with their customers. When consumers buy produce at Crossway Farms, they get to have a conversation with the people who grew their food.

“It just gives a unique experience for the consumer to be able to walk in and meet their farmer directly… This allows them to know exactly what they’re getting, where it was raised and who raised it, and how they did,” Courtney said.

Courtney recommends a Farm Bureau membership because of the advocacy and partnership Crossway Farms has received. The Shelby County Farm Bureau has partnered with Crossway Farms in the past for events like a farm-to-table dinner and a salsa making event. During the uncertainty of COVID-19, Farm Bureau helped Crossway Farms determine what category they fell into and how to safely operate their business.

“I would strongly encourage you to join just to have someone on your side in the farm community,” Courtney said.

To learn more about Crossway Farms, visit their website  or find them on Facebook.