Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 114, No. 34	August 15, 2007

‘Waste not, want not’ could be motto of area resident who has a sharp eye for gardening

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

Photos by Larry See Jr.
Left, the bed of Farmer’s pickup truck is loaded with all types and varieties of freshly-picked tomatoes. Not only does he know the different kinds and what they taste like, Farmer also can tell you the kinds of conditions they grew under. Above, Farmer turns off the water faucet to his watermelons in his garden. Some parts of the garden needed fencing to keep animals out of the crop, as they were enjoying the foodstuffs quicker than Farmer could get them harvested.

If it’s good, Bob Farmer doesn’t throw it away. After all, he might have a place for it in his garden or property on Doe Run-Ekron Road.

“My barn was built out of pieces of 15 old barns,” the 77-year-old Farmer said. “I hauled them here from throughout the county.”

“I like to recycle things and put them back to use again,” he said.

One of the things he recycles is riding lawn mowers, as he was in the process of repairing one in the tepid temperatures last week as this reporter walked up.

“I like to keep busy,” he said. “That way I feel like I accomplish something rather than thinking about what I can’t do, I like to think of what I can do.”

I like to stay busy because I want to be busy,” Farmer continued. “I enjoy having something to look forward to.”

Farmer certainly enjoys his garden, recounting easily the types of materials he used for the different plants and where he acquired them from.

“All of the dirt you see I hauled in,” he said, adding he also uses sawdust, leaves and manure to create nourishment and mulch for the garden.

In some areas, the raccoons like the ground covering so much, they “come in to dig fresh worms and keep it stirred up,” Farmer said. “Sometimes I stir it up and get compost for it as well.”

All varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, watermelon, corn and other food stuffs can be found in the 1/4 acre garden, which is totally weed-free and well-cared for by Farmer and his “animals.”

“This is different from any other garden,” Farmer said. “Some of (the plants) are in containers and people could come and get an idea for themselves.”

And the materials used to make the containers? Recycled, of course.

“I use some golf sticks to hold the flowers to prevent them from bending,” Farmer said. Golf “sticks” are the clubs used to hit the balls around golf courses.

“I tie them (my flowers) up and recycle them as well. I bet I have close to 200 of them,” Farmer said.

Farmer adapts the materials to the soil, in order to suit their needs.

“I figure what I am going to grow and then adapt the (materials) to suit that plant,” Farmer said.

Don’t expect to see any of Farmer’s freshly-grown produce at a roadside stand in the future.

“I rarely sell my garden materials or my flowers,” he said. “I enjoy sharing it and I enjoy doing it.”

Farmer’s eyes lit up when he told of walking into a local car dealership and how the employees there greatly appreciated the fresh tomatoes, or the visits he makes to drop off items to his barber or at the local hardware store.

When he’s not working in the garden, Farmer likes to do fiction reading and also has plenty of future projects.

“I want this area here to look like an old desert and maybe get some small horses and desert items to put in here,” he gestured.

He has a good start already having several small cactuses in place along with pieces of driftwood.

Yes, Farmer will stay busy and those fortunate enough to be the recipient of his garden will be all the better for it.

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