Hamilton farm market battles aftermath of Hurricane Helene, high heat

HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) -The remnants of Hurricane Helene have presented significant challenges for residents in the Tri-State area, including one farm manager in Hamilton who has highlighted the difficulties of navigating the lingering effects of Hurricane Helene and the high during the fall season.

Jody Boyd, manager of Brown's Family Farm Market on Hamilton-Cleves Road, says fall is usually a huge time for them.

"Fall is more than a third of our income. It carries us for the next six months when our stores are not open," Boyd said.

She says it has been slow due to the heat, and now, with the remnants of the hurricane, the weekend has caused even more issues.

Boyd explains that they usually see about 200 people in their store per hour, but lately, they have been down to 20 people per hour.

They set up tents and tarps to prepare for the storm, but there was only so much they could do.

"I tucked as many in there as I could. We covered the ends, but with the rain coming in from this direction, that one we lost, I don't know how many more we'll lose," Boyd said.

Boyd mentioned that the sunflower field is ruined, with downed fences, tattered corn stalks, and flooded areas. Due to the flooded fields, they won't be able to offer some of their usual attractions, like food trucks, a corn maze, and hayrides, this weekend.

"We're already three weekends down that were really rough, and this one was pretty much a disaster, and we only have a few weeks to go, and that's our last chance to have an income until next April," Boyd said.

Boyd mentioned that the family farm has a great team that has already put in a lot of effort to restore the farm. Despite the damage, she remains hopeful for a better remainder of the fall season.

Even though some attractions are currently closed, the store section is open.

"A lot of little hidden gems in this place people don't know about and this is a great time for people to come in and explore those things," Boyd said.