Betty Jane Hunt

By: centraljersey.com
John Ashton works in corporate America as an actuary for Johnson & Johnson.
He says the people at work don’t begin to understand his life at home with six beef cows, five sons, a huge woodpile, and an unfinished house the family has been in the process of building for over eight years.
Upon entering their house, this writer was confronted with the biggest box of cereal she had ever seen and lots of other groceries in bulk sizes on the counter.
The Ashtons own 38 acres on Route 518. They moved to West Amwell almost seven years ago from Langhorne, Pa., with their three boys. Since then they have had two more boys. The five range in age from 4 to 19.
Mr. Ashton’s grandfather had a farm on Ashton Road (what was once a small farm road has become a four-lane highway) in the Philadelphia area.
Marla Ashton has no farm background, except that her father was born in an adobe house in rural Colorado. Mr. Ashton’s family had a garden in Levittown when he was growing up and he loved to work in it.
The 38 acres in West Amwell are mostly woods, except for about 13 acres around the house. Mr. Ashton said the land is "very poor," so he is trying to improve it, but that’s a long process. They have six beef cows they raise on grass and hay purchased from local farmers – mostly from John Johnston, but also from Dwight Ely and the Fulpers. Through the years, they also have raised chickens (layers and broilers), ducks, turkeys, and geese.
Ms. Ashton said she seldom buys meat. Soon, they will have some beef for sale (whole, half, or quarters) that can be purchased by contacting them at [email protected]. From time to time, they also have eggs, broilers and turkeys.
Mr. Ashton said they are not planning to have geese again, because that project didn’t turn out too well. One year, they purchased a dozen domestic geese. When it came time to kill them, they did only three. This was a "greasy mess" and tough eating. They sold goose eggs the next year, but the geese were a nuisance. He talked a neighbor into taking them., but the neighbor didn’t pen them in. Two weeks later they were spotted on the Pine Creek golf course. Mr. Ashton doesn’t know what happened to them after that.
From the wood lot, they cut wood and sell some, but also use it to heat their house. Several people also give them wood; hence the large woodpile in their yard. They hunt in the woods and also have about an acre on which they have a wildlife management area. They also pick wild berries out of the woods, Mr. Ashton said. He noted that it is neat to "see the way God provides" and be able to reap where one didn’t sow.
A lot of their farming has been put on hold for the past couple years because of ill parents. Mr. Ashton’s parents were living in part of the house – a section Mr. Ashton built just for them. His father died recently. His mother is still there and requires full-time care.
The Ashtons purchase a truckload of apples every year and make cider. Two years ago they canned 110 quarts of applesauce and made 60 gallons of cider.
While Mr. Ashton is working in corporate America, his wife is taking care of his mother, leading the church youth group, working part-time at her profession as an architect, home-schooling all five boys and managing all that goes with running a home.
Each boy has his own computer for schoolwork, which is online. Ms. Ashton said it gets easier for her as the boys get older because they work on their own and what they do is certified by a high school in New York.
The boys also have chores. They feed and water the cows, keep the fire going for their heat and hot water, move chicken pens, feed and water whatever other animals they have, mow grass, split firewood, etc.
Their father said the boys take care of the live animals and he does the killing and processing. He said 11-year-old Issac really is looking forward to having a real garden. He planted a few kernels of corn one year and actually got a few full ears of corn.
Mr. Ashton said farmland assessment is just a good excuse for him to farm. He really enjoys seeing the cows happy and content when they are fed. He said the things he doesn’t like about farming are processing the chickens and chasing the cows in the middle of the night.
As for his dream when he has more time, Mr. Ashton said he would have more cows when he has better pasture. He wants fruit trees and berry bushes, a garden (large enough to eat from, preserve vegetables, and share with others), a barn, more layers, turkeys, and one-two pigs (so the family would have all their basic food). He also would clear and maintain the wood lot better.
This writer told him it’s likely his helpers will be grown and gone before he has time to do all those things. His reply was that he would rely on grandchildren.
Asked how he learned to build a house and do the farming he does, he said he worked for a lot of different people when he was in high school and college. He learned things from them and he is never afraid to ask the people who know.
Betty Jane Hunt is a member of the West Amwell Agriculture Advisory Committee.