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How Eccardt Farm became a cherished
part of Washington
Three generations of Eccards
in front of their Farm Store - Ryan, Hans, Julia and George
A Short History of the Farm
Eccardt Farm is a 60 year old, four generation family dairy
farm, with about 270 head of Holsteins and some beautiful
Brown Swiss. The 465 acre farm combines fields, pasture and
woodlands. The family has always done its own cropping on
its land and for a dozen local properties owned by others.
The approximately 108 acres of pastureland is grazed and/or
hayed. The 65 acres of forage crops is bottomland with fertile
soils. Two hundred seventy acres are forested land with 7
acres of sugar bush. Five acres contain the farm house, barns,
milk parlor and out buildings including the farm store and
museum.
The farm was purchased in 1950 by Margaret and Rudolph Eccardt.
Margaret came to the United States in 1928 from Arlburg, Switzerland.
Her husband, Rudolph, was born in Philadelphia and went to
school in Germany. He was imprisoned on the Isle of Mann in
England as a civilian prisoner of war during World War I and
came back to the States after the war. The two were married
in New York in 1931.
In 1950, Margaret and Rudolph were working in New York City
and looking for a farm in the country. Margaret was a waitress
at the Chalet Suisse and Rudolph was employed at the Hampshire
House Hotel as a pastry chef. Margaret's older brother, Charles,
told the nephew of Victor and Mary Dyer, the owners of the
farm, that his sister and brother- in- law were looking to
buy a small farm - the Dyer farm became the Eccardt farm.
When Margaret and Rudolph moved to East Washington, they started
with 2 cows and 3 heifers. Margaret was given responsibility
for milking the cows, since it was customary in Germany for
the women to take charge of the milking. Margaret's always
said that she was "scared stiff", but Margaret took on the
milking chores at 7 AM and 6 PM as well as the care of 1000
chickens that soon became 2000.
Hans Eccard, a distant relative of Rudolph, came to East Washington
to join Rudolph and Margaret in 1955. He took over the milking.
Julia, Han's fiance, arrived in March of 1959 and remembers
that the snow banks were so high that she couldn't see the
cars driving by the house. Hans and Julia were married in
April and had their wedding reception at the Valley Hotel
in Hillsboro - one of the last big events to be held there.
Julia took over the milking after the children - Marianne,
George and John - were big enough to stay with Gram (Margaret).
The current milk parlor was built in 1968 and is now at maximum
capacity.
Margaret, Julia with Marianne, George, John, Hans and
Rudolph in 1966
Over the past 60 years, the farm has grown, always working
to improve farming practices and production. Today, three
generations of Eccard's work together on the farm. Rudolph
died in 1966 leaving Hans in charge of the farm's operations.
Margaret died in 2004 at the age of 98. Hans is now semi-retired
and has turned the management over to son George. Julia still
works, occasionally taking her turn at the milking.
For decades, the Eccardt farm has welcomed friends and visitors
from nearby towns, neighboring states and foreign countries
to experience their working farm. Visitors walk through the
fields, stables and barns and visit the farm museum housing
antique farm implements of all varieties. Hans delights all
who visit with a history of farming as seen through these
old tools of the trade. All enjoy the animals - from the cows,
pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and common pigeons to
the more exotic llamas, emus, peacocks and rare breeds of
pigeons.
Eccardt Farm - picture by Bob Hofstetter
The menagerie of animals and birds, and the extensive museum
of antique farm equipment and tools, are big draws for travelers,
neighbors, friends, and customers stopping for meat and milk
at the Eccardt farm in Washington. Hans and Julia Eccardt
and their sons George and John don't charge admission. Of
particular interest is Hans' extensive collection of scythes
from Europe and North America. Hans learned to cut hay with
a scythe in Germany and Switzerland before he came to the
U.S. in the 1950s. He was such a master of this hand tool
that for decades he captured the annual championship held
in Vermont, discouraging all competitors, and was awarded
with the "Golden Scythe".
Visitors may be surprised
when Hans rolls up to greet them on his Segway personal-transporter.
Manchester's Segway inventor-entrepreneur Dean Kaymen ought
to consider this hillside farmstead scene for advertising
photos - the burly farmer poised on his high-tech mobility
machine, maneuvering smoothly amongst the antique farm implements.
Hundreds of school children come to visit each year for a
field trip and learning experience.
Corn fields as seen from the proposed conservation land
Besides milking and cropping the farm makes and sells hay,
and offers the best compost around. People come as far away
as Vermont and Massachusetts to buy compost. In the fall and
winter the farm sells cord wood, and sends logs to the mills
in the winter.
The family opened a Farm Store last July,
offering the farm's raw milk, in glass and plastic jugs, local
eggs from Spring Meadow Farm, home grown, grass-fed, USDA
certified beef with many cuts of steaks and roasts to choose
from, local lamb, veal, and pork, baked goods, jams and jellies,
meat glazes, East Washington maple syrup, Walpole Creamery
Ice Cream and local hand crafted products including local
goats' milk soaps and herbal goods. All the meat is vacuum
pack sealed for longer freezer life. Friends and neighbors,
people from Washington and surrounding towns and passers by
stop to shop. Why don't you join them and stop by? Enthusiastic
customers share the desire to "Eat Local".
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