Sandi Sommerfeldt, Amber Rodriguez and Cruz Rodriguez were preparing for the upcoming season at Sommerfeldt Farms this winter when their lives went up flames.
Their 130-year-old farmhouse at 1093 Benton Center Road was completely destroyed by fire Feb. 21. It was home to three generations after patriarch Robert Sommerfeldt bought the property in the early 1950s.
“Everything was going normal as always – me and my mom were picking out seed and talking about what to plant this year,” said Cruz, who is in charge of growing all the farm’s produce. “It’s just crazy, man. Twenty minutes and life can just get flipped upside down.”
Now, the operators of Sommerfeldt Farms are left left picking up the pieces as they try to rebuild their home and continue the 70-year family business.
In recent years, the farm is mostly a three-person operation – Cruz is the farmer, while Amber operates the farm market. Sandi lives in Florida during the winter months, and returns north to help when things get going in the spring.
After the fire, only a few photos, a plastic shoebox and charred memories remained. The biggest loss, though, was the family’s two farm dogs, Poncho and Baby.
“That’s probably the worst part,” said Cruz, who also lost a collection of shoes, hats and jerseys from his time working for Nike in Chicago. “You can buy all that stuff back, but you cant get the dogs back.”
While neighbors and community members have pitched in to help get the family back on their feet, the process has been overwhelming. Cruz said even though returning to the farm work has been slightly therapeutic for him, he’s constantly reminded of what he lost.
“All I do is look over there and I don’t have a house,” he said. “In the spring, when we don’t have the stand open, it was just me in the field and the dog is right next to me.”
Looking ahead
Amber and Cruz now live just down the road in another house, and Sandi said she has been working with insurance people and contractors to determine if they can rebuild a home. They’re also working on renovating an old trailer that sits on the property.
“Hopefully we can get the trailer cleaned up,” Cruz said. “Then, I could stay in there and be at the farm and make things a little more normal, like they used to be.”
In the meantime, the family said they would welcome help from the community – even if it’s just stopping by Sommerfeldt’s Farm Market and buying some produce. The tomatoes and peppers they grow on-site are not ready yet, but they sell fresh produce and other items from farms across southwest Michigan.
“We need a good summer,” Sandi said. “Just come out and support us here. Don’t go to the grocery store.”
Even if people don’t buy from their market, Sommerfeldt Farms wants those in the area to support local farms.
“Without farmers, there’s nothing in the grocery store,” Cruz said. “Plus, you’re buying produce grown in another state when our state produces mass amounts of fruit – and good fruit. We’ve got so much sugar in the ground, that’s why everything tastes better here. California strawberries may be huge, but it don’t taste good. It’s bland. You can get a little Michigan strawberry and it’s bold, like a real strawberry flavor.”
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Cruz said he mostly grows organic, heirloom varieties of tomatoes that aren’t typically grown on other farms. He also grows peppers, pumpkins and sunflowers. Because he doesn’t have any additional laborers, Cruz said he must choose wisely what can be grown within their limited means.
“I’m not here, there wouldn’t be a plant in the ground,” Cruz said. “‘My grandpa always told me, you can plant acres and acres and acres, but how are you gonna pick it when it’s just you?”
Sommerfeldt’s Farm Market, 1093 S Benton Center Road, is open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day.
By Ryan Yuenger
ryany@wsjm.com
