Geauga County has a rich heritage exemplified by the designation of 18 historic family farms throughout the county.
Geauga County has a rich heritage exemplified by the designation of 18 historic family farms throughout the county.
Three of those farms have been recognized as bicentennial farms, meaning they were established over 200 years ago.
Recently, Moseley Farm, Inc. on Madison Road in Thompson Township received such distinction.
After much painstaking research, family member Carol Burschur surprised her cousins with the news of the designation 200 years in the making. Partner cousins Dale Moseley, Fred Moseley, Nathan Moseley, Carol Burschur and Catherine Moseley had gathered to celebrate The Great Geauga County Fair as they had done so many years past when Carol made the announcement.
The storied history began Nov. 10, 1810, when Noah Moseley made the trek from Springfield, Mass., to Ohio. He purchased the fertile 246 acres for $1,120. The land had been made rich by beach and lake sediment formed millions of years earlier during glacial lake activity, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Farm life was hard for Noah and his large family of three boys and five girls, but it afforded a homestead for the Moseley ancestors to raise families of their own, which they are still doing to this day. Noah passed away at age 93 in 1860, testimony to a life on the farm well-lived.
Moseley’s astute purchase provided the foundation for production of sheep, dairy cows with hay and grain to feed them, as well as a forest of timber. The American Tree Farm System of Ohio designated the Mosely farm a tree farm in the 1950s.
The farm is still very active with a land mass today of 174 acres. Today’s production includes soy beans, corn and hay. The large red barn heralds the proud “M” at its peak for all to see heading north of Thompson Square.
Testament to carrying on tradition, Moseley Family Farm, Inc. has produced quality maple syrup for years and in 2015, was named to the Geauga County Hall of Fame.
