I’ve visited lots of farms over the three years I’ve been writing this column. But I’ve seldom met so many animals by name. Nearly every hen, rooster, goat, duck, turkey and rabbit at Hidden Pond Farms has a name, and Savannah, the daughter of farmers Jeff and April Camell, introduces me to each one. Apollo, Hades, Zeus, Jack & Jill, Simon & Garfunkel….the list goes on. I’ve also never seen a farm with specially-built, fenced-in climbing areas for goats. Even the baby goats are climbing already.
Jeff and April and their three children moved here in 2017 from Racine, Wisconsin, for work. They decided they wanted to live in the country and found this twelve-acre farm south of Hibbing, and yes, it has a hidden pond. It also has a farm stand, and that’s what I find interesting. I grew up in Illinois in the 1950’s and we didn’t know what a farmers market was, but it seemed like every country road had a farm stand. You could buy melons and tomatoes and berries grown a few feet from the stand. And sweet corn, then pumpkins as the seasons turned. And there was a farm stand in the city too: I remember going to Dingeldein Gardens in my hometown of Rock Island, Illinois, a farm stand in town with acres of vegetables and fruits right there. I looked them up just for old time’s sake and learned that they started in 1853 when German immigrant Philip Dingeldein established a garden and vineyard. The 12-acre vegetable plot grew to 50 acres—I’m not sure how big it was in the 1950’s when we shopped there. But the rather ornate house on the property housed a “wine hall” many years before my time where folks traveling through the area stopped for a rest and some wine.
Back to the story!! The farmstand at Hidden Pond Farms is open every day in season from 9am to 8pm. It’s self-serve, and it offers up whatever the gardens and hens have delivered that day. Neighbors and friends stop by and pick up what they need. And folks who find the farmstand on Facebook drive by, too. This will be the third year for the farm stand. It’s right out by the road and there is a driveway close by for parking. Last year they were selling 25 dozen eggs a week and they sold out of pumpkins long before Halloween. They are registered Cottage Food producers with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and hope to expand their offerings with home-canned goods and eventually goat-milk products. The only advertising they do is on Facebook. You can find the farm at https://www.facebook.com/hiddenpondfarms
When I first contacted Jeff and April about a story, they were planning a Christmas Tree farm. Of the twelve acres, four are maintained and eight are wooded. Christmas trees are still a possibility, but now they’re looking at other options too. They’d like to support themselves from the land here. There’s the start of an apple and pear orchard west of the house and plans for larger gardens. They compost everything and have a rich mix of manure from all the animals. They also get peat and soil from Bertram Excavating nearby. They buy all of their feed locally from L&M Supply in Mt. Iron.
The chickens have an unusually long run here, protected from predators on the sides and the top. A good idea in this rural area where coyotes and other wild critters run. There are a number of out-buildings that came with the property and they’re all in use. And lots of large enclosures for as close to free-range as you can get without losing all of the animals. It’s muddy the day that I visit and I’m glad I have worn my muck boots! We walk the acres and end up at the hidden pond. It’s fairly small and has lots of cattails.
Cattails serve an important purpose in wetland areas like this pond and its surroundings. Underwater, they provide a safe spot for tiny fish and attract many of the smaller aquatic creatures that birds and other wildlife feed on. The rhizomes and lower leaf portions of cattails are consumed by muskrats, ducks, and geese. They act as a shelter from winter cold and wind for mammals and birds and a source of nesting material with their leaves and seeds. But they can grow very quickly and take over easily. Jeff plans to thin the cattails that surround this pond a bit this summer in order to leave a bit more open water. I’m sure the ducks that I met earlier will enjoy it.
Very few Iron Range farms are run by full-time farmers, and this farm is no exception. Jeff holds an off-farm job. April tends the gardens and animals and refills the farm stand. It works well for them to have someone here all day with all the animals. And visitors to the farm stand often get to meet April—knowing your farmer is one of the best ways to ensure the quality of the food you eat. They’ve already planted a much larger pumpkin patch for this fall, so check them out on Facebook and plan a visit!
