Farmer Trevor Wildey has worked day in and day out to make the Fishers AgriPark what it is today. In just his mid-twenties, his farming experience is vast, working on his own family’s farm and other local produce and livestock farms his entire life.
I joined Trevor on the farm for a look into his daily routine. I grew up in a rural, farming community, but never learned a thing about farming or growing my own food.
Right now, his job seems straight forward – feed the animals, pick the produce. That’s a big part of what he does, but what’s respectable in running a farm is the planning, consistency, and timing needed to make everything work seamlessly.
I visited on a Monday, so that meant watching Trevor rig up a fungicide sprayer to take care of newly sprouted pumpkins. These pumpkins won’t be ready for harvest for nearly two months. Again, planning. Last week, he designed and cut down a 4-acre corn maze in one day.
Next, we fed the animals. What do they eat? Great question. I had no idea either. The farm’s horse, two bulls, and sheep share breakfast together each morning (It’s as cute as it sounds.), and they eat a “sweet mix” – a mix of pellets and grains.
Since we visited nearing the fall season, the produce will be on its way out over the next several weeks, which means paying close attention to each plant is vital. I walked with Trevor up and down the rows of the 3-acre produce field, watching him stop occasionally to pick what was ready, which included a basket of fresh banana peppers.
The rest of Trevor’s week was busy with hours of mowing, weeding, volunteer work, and so much more, but a big part of every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is picking. With the help of volunteers and Fishers Parks staff, hundreds of families are fed each week with what’s harvested. What isn’t taken by park guests is donated to local food banks on Friday.
With just my short visit, it’s hard to capture what really happens day in and day out on the 33-acre farm. It’s easy to visit for a few hours, be amazed at the beauty of the space, indulge in trying some new foods, and pet the animals, but getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make it all happen has given me a new perspective and appreciation for local farmers.
Kara Hall is the Marketing and PR Manager for the City of Fishers and has been with the department since 2017. Her favorite thing to do in Fishers is checking out the local restaurants and boutiques around town and taking walks with her daughter, dog, and husband at parks #AroundFishers. Her other hobbies include listening to podcasts, watching true crime documentaries, going to concerts, reading, and cheering on the Colts on Sundays. She loves that Fishers is always changing and is constantly looking for ways to create vibrancy within the community.