The Heart of Yellow River Farms

Every great story starts with something small, and ours began with a garden.

In the summer of 1990, the late Wayne Eichelberg and his son-in-law, Bill Scherf, planted a garden large enough to feed not only their family, but much of the neighborhood. The goal was simple: grow fresh, quality produce and share it with others.

As word spread, the garden quickly outgrew its humble beginnings. A small produce stand was built outside Wayne and Rose Ann's home, where Rose Ann and her daughter, Gina, sold whatever was fresh from the garden each week. By 1992, demand had grown so much that the family moved the market to its current home, a beautifully restored barn built in 1902 that still welcomes visitors today.

That move marked the beginning of something much bigger than a new location. It gave the family room to grow, and over the years, they transformed a roadside produce stand into a destination families return to season after season. Fresh sweet corn, picked every morning beginning in mid-July, became a local favorite. As autumn arrives, the market fills with pumpkins, squash, gourds, Indian corn, apples, jams, jellies, and other seasonal favorites. By late September, the farm comes alive with the annual Fall Extravaganza, featuring wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, a winding corn maze, an 80-foot tube slide, friendly farm animals, and a concession stand where Gina has long served sandwiches, caramel apples, and other fall treats to generations of visitors.

Perhaps the greatest addition to the farm, however, wasn't something that could be sold. It was family.

Bill and Gina's sons, Evan and Ryan, grew up at the market. Longtime customers watched them go from young boys helping behind the register to the next generation carrying on the family tradition.

Today, Ryan continues farming the land and helping operate Yellow River Farms alongside his wife, Aerielle, who has become a familiar face to so many returning visitors. Evan built a successful lawn care and landscaping business of his own, but the family tradition continues through his twin sons, Laramie and Kolt. They now spend their time at the market just as their father once did, helping customers, carrying bags, and learning firsthand what makes this place so special.

Rose Ann remains at the heart of it all, greeting familiar faces, catching up with longtime customers, and welcoming new families who are discovering Yellow River Farms for the very first time. The farm's beloved animals have become part of that experience as well. Babe, Smokey, Savannah, and Donnie are longtime favorites, joined by a rotating crew of barn cats and the farm's colorful peacocks Johnny, Pearl, and Linda who seem to wander wherever they please.

More than three decades later, that same spirit still greets every visitor who walks through the doors. Whether you're picking up fresh produce, choosing the perfect pumpkin, or bringing your family to make new fall memories, you're becoming part of a story that began with one garden and continues to grow with every season.

A Northern Indiana Destination for Over 30 Years

Yellow River Farms has been a fixture in Starke County since 1990, drawing families from Knox and the surrounding northern Indiana communities season after season. What started as a small family operation has grown into one of the region's most trusted sources for fresh produce, homemade pantry goods, and fall family fun.

Neighbors know they can count on the farm for sweet corn in summer, pick-your-own pumpkins in October, and honest, farm-fresh quality year after year. The Scherf family doesn't just grow food  they grow community.

Three-plus decades in, Yellow River Farms remains exactly what it has always been: a family farm that cares about the land, the people who eat from it, and the county it calls home.

Get in Touch

Have a question about our hours, seasonal offerings, group visits, or anything else? Fill out the form below and the Scherf family will get back to you as soon as possible.