Eating healthy

Fifth-generation farmer Katherine Harrison, owner of Harrison Farm in Groveport, enriches the diets of the farm’s animals as often as possible with fresh selections. The sheep love beautiful, intact pumpkins (a natural dewormer!), and the chickens enjoy all pumpkins and gourds, even the soggy ones. Goats prefer Christmas trees a little later in the year. These treats provide nutrition as well as mental stimulation. Pumpkins are donated by friends and volunteers, as well as some local businesses.

Harrison bought the farm from her grandparents five years ago. She feels deeply invested in developing the farm as an agri-tourism business. The working farm hosts volunteers and interns, school groups and youth organizations, providing teachable opportunities for beginning farmers.

Fifth-generation farmer Katherine Harrison, right, who owns the Harrison Farm, gathers up chunks of pumpkins to feed to the farm’s herd of sheep with help from volunteer Lauren Kurtz.

Volunteer Lauren Kurtz holds a 2-day-old “bottle baby” lamb, a mix of a Royal White ewe and a Katahdin sheep.

A herd of goats investigates visitors after the herd enjoyed a pile of pumpkins

Chickens, who will eat a wide variety of scraps, check out a pile of pumpkins and gourds.

A barn cat patrols the front yard of the Harrison Farm in Groveport.

While most head first for the feeding trough, a few sheep notice the bounty of pumpkins awaiting the herd.

Sheep at Harrison Farm enjoy a bounty of pumpkins.