ASHLAND — Doug Fitch is a farming aficionado with interests and unique methodologies that traverse the agriculture industry.
A full-time farmer and part-time pharmacist, not a day goes by that Fitch isn’t delicately laboring the hours away; always looking for a new technique to better himself or his produce.
Free-range chickens scamper about the 90-acre property; a piece of land that cultivates maple syrup, sour cherries, unpasteurized apple cider, red and black raspberries, blackberries, honey, buckwheat flour and alfalfa among other byproducts. Fitch Pharm Farm also features a 2.5-acre pick-your-own blueberry patch.
Fitch and his wife Beth have spent years honing their craft to maintain an all-organic yield with innovative farming procedures, but they’re not secretive of their practices. They collaborate with neighbors, members of the Amish community, as well as several generations of Fitch farmers.
“I’m an entrepreneur; I’m always trying to find another product to sell,” Fitch said. “When I was a kid, I was always frustrated with commodity trading.
“I wanted to be able to have a product or some type of income where I could set the price with no middleman.”
Thus, Fitch purchased the estate 32 years ago and has since tailored his soil to be absolutely chemical-free. A restored log cabin from the 1800’s, transformed into Fitch’s showroom and shopping center for his output, landmarks the quarry.
Complete with an anomalous second-story, Fitch has toyed with the idea of converting the historical building into an AirBnb vacation rental. The emporium markets caramel corn, barbecue sauces, jams, honey, wax, lip balm and a variety of maple products including syrup, coffee, taffy, candy and cream.
The store is open six days a week all year long and it also sells maple syrup equipment.
There are 16 hives of honey bees on the farm; 12 of them house locally caught swarms, while the other four provide residence for Russian honey bees. Fitch mows the grass on a rotational schedule — that way there are always wild clovers for the bees to collect their nectar.
When he’s not hard at work on the farm, Fitch serves the community as a pharmacist at Ashland’s Rite Aid. He has been employed at the apothecary for more than 34 years.
In the little free time he has, Fitch enjoys reading self-development books.
“The first thing I learned in my business is how to find the answer; You can’t know everything,” Fitch said. “You and I exchange time for money — it’s called a job.
“But we’re never told that there are other ways of making money, and that’s called passive income. I’m just a farmer who learns every day.”
Fitch Pharm Farm is located at 1591 Township Road 1353. The general store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
