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Ulmer Farms produces tomatoes, beans, sunflowers and more

PHOTO PROVIDED Seth Ulmer of Ulmer Farms sits inside the tractor on the right, hauling the tomato harvester, while one of his assistants, Aaron Fausey, drives alongside with a second tractor and a bucket. The entire tomato plant is plucked from the ground by the harvester, then the tomatoes are separated and travel through a series of conveyors, up a chute and into the gathering bucket.

LOCK HAVEN — Agriculture is a leading industry in our area. And the Great Island just outside of Lock Haven has some of the most fertile, Susquehanna River river bottom soil around, producing some of the best crops.

Ulmer Farms, 710 Island Road, farms about 1,200 acres, growing a half-dozen different crops, including tomatoes, corn, soy and green beans, wheat and sunflowers.

Owner Seth Ulmer began his tomato harvest late last month and is expected to continue picking through mid-October. He’s under contract with Furmano’s Foods, a family-owned tomato, beans and vegetable processor based out of Northumberland, Pa. Ulmer Farms this year grew five different varieties of tomatoes on about 140 acres locally that will be trucked to Furmano’s.

The green beans grown at Ulmer Farms are sold through a broker and shipped to South Carolina, while the rest of the crops stay closer to home.

Corn, soy beans and wheat are sold to local feed mills.

PHOTO PROVIDED A harvesting crew contracted by Furmano’s Foods sorts the tomatoes on the harvester, removing any that aren’t in good shape.

The 20-acre sunflower field Ulmer planted this year will be harvested next month and sold to neighboring business, Chatham Run Feed Mill, for use in bird feed mixes.

PHOTO PROVIDED At right, Nathan Coinger from Ulmer Farms empties a bucket of tomatoes into one of the large trailers that hauls the tomatoes to the Furmano’s processing facility in Northumberland, Pa.

PHOTO PROVIDED Ulmer Farms sign in front of their farm.

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