Full-Time Country Woman profile: Brenda Kocher

 

 

My part time job as a writer for the Galion Inquirer lets me highlight people that I know, get to know people better who were formerly just acquaintances, and meet new people. I've known Brenda Kocher for a long time; she was one of the nurses in the nursing facility my grandmother was in. But I didn't really know much about her until last year when she set up at NorthSide Farmers Market with herb plants. Brenda  had purchased a greenhouse from her neighbor, Rose (a friend of mine), and started an herb and plant business which she named Monarch Homestead.


When Acres of North Central Ohio wanted a story about women in agriculture, my editor at the Inquirer asked me to write it. In thinking about who to include in the story, Brenda came to my mind right away as a perfect fit not only because she farms with her husband, Mike, but also because of her new business as an 'herb lady'. :)


Last Saturday I had a nice visit with Brenda to see her new business.
Here is Brenda's part of the story.

Marcheta *making new friends

Brenda, Herbal Healer

Brenda Kocher and her husband, Mike, are “farm bred and country raised”. It was only natural that when they married, they wanted to continue the lifestyle for their family.  Brenda says that she chose to farm because “God has put us on earth to help feed people”.  In 1985 the young couple took over managing the Kocher farm, which includes grain and beef feeder cattle. Their children Nick and Heather (now grown), are also “farm bred and country raised”.

While growing up on her family’s dairy farm, Brenda learned many “old time” farming skills, such as making maple syrup, apple cider, soap making, gardening, and tending animals. More training came from FFA.  A natural -born caregiver, Brenda is a private duty nurse with an interest in holistic healing. In 2012, she bought greenhouse and started Monarch Homestead. Along with herb plants, Brenda also raises flower and vegetable bedding plants, and water plants for lily ponds. She currently has four aquaponic tanks. Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines traditional aquaculture (such as fish) with hydroponics (raising plants in water).

Brenda says that the scariest thing to happen on the farm came in 2012, shortly after her greenhouse was constructed. A volatile windstorm swept through the state, blowing over the Kocher’s grain legs which landed on other grain legs.

Brenda’s business is still in its infancy.  She says her proudest moment so far is her success in raising a large variety of plants from seeds. She sells the plants by appointment and occasionally sets up at farmers markets, but at this point her goal is more about informing and teaching than retail sales. At markets, Brenda’s enthusiasm for incorporating herbs for healthful living, along with the fragrances and textures of her herb plants, draws people in to learn more about natural, sustainable gardening.  Brenda sees her role as a 4-H leader and president of Crawford County Farm Bureau as opportunities to teach others about aquaponics and herb gardening.

 Contact information

Brenda Kocher: Monarch Homestead

Phone: (419) 543-0537

Facebook: Monarch Homestead

Wonderful World of Color

Several times yesterday Snow fought Spring, but the flacky water is finally running out of energy. It was spitting mad when I drove out to interview Brenda Kocher, of Monarch Homestead, but by the time I got to Brenda's place, the snow had given up.

All I can say about that is, *YA*Y*

I truly love winter, but enough is enough already.

The temperature inside Brenda's greenhouse was still fairly low, but the plants inside were warm enough and, more importantly, protected from the cold wind which had brought the snow and hadn't given up yet on freezing us out. Inside those plastic walls, life abounds.

Growing, colorful, fragrant life. Enough to make a grown gal smile.

Brenda and her business are part of a story that I am writing for Acres of North Central Ohio. I also plan to profile Brenda here at OCJ, so stay tuned to read more about this Nurse/Herb Lady's story :)

Marcheta *caught that smile

A Seedy Proposition

 

A blanket of snow has painted the landscape with a monochromatic pallet, making the outdoors appear calm and serene…a perfect winter scene. But step inside just about any store these days and you’ll find a riot of color at the seed displays that pop out between main aisles. Pictured on the packages are images of yummy vegetables, beautiful flowers, and aromatic herbs. It makes the senses reel with delight.

It’s a bit early for serious seed-starting for the average home gardener, but winter-weary people (and even winter lovers like me) find it hard to resist the temptation of buying ‘just a few’ packages for fun. Serious gardeners and market growers are already planning their 2013 season and many, like Mendy Sellman and Toni Norwood have told me that they’ve already ordered seeds. There’s something comforting in that fact, that farmers are planning another season of feeding the masses, that we’ll have locally grown fresh food available again come summer.

I don’t think on such a grand scale. For now, a bit of green growing in my kitchen window with a backdrop of snowy fields and woods is enough to satisfy my need for seed. I chose a few herb packs to have fresh to cook with and headed back home. For my big herb garden I rely on buying plants from NorthSide Farmers Market vendors like Toni and Brenda Kocher, but a few clay pots of leafy parsley on the kitchen windowsill in the heart of winter are the smile-makers that this gal needs.

Marcheta *smiley faced gal