Arts & Entertainment

Animals, Eggs, Veggies ... Waterview Farm Has it All

Frank Schrodl Jr.'s hobby keeps growing and growing.

Visitors taking a tour of Waterview Farm may be surprised to learn the owner, Frank Schrodl Jr., considers it all to be "just a hobby."

Schrodl, a machinist at M-Cubed Technologies in Monroe, has 140 chickens, two goats, two llamas, an alpaka, peacocks and ducks on his six-acre property at 1366 Route 111.

Christmas trees are growing in Schrodl's front yard and he also has a vegetable garden with tomatoes, zucchini, beets, radishes, eggplant and peppers.

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"I just keep expanding," he said. "I'm doing broccoli. I always do pumpkins."

This year, Schrodl planted blueberries, raspberries and blackberries — though he said it will take a couple of years before the bushes start bearing fruit.

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The frame for a greenhouse stands a few feet from his driveway.

"I'm working on it," Schrodl said. "I still have to do the sides. I'm hoping to finish it over the next couple of weeks."

The farmer is known as the egg man of the Monroe Farmers Market of which he has been a regular vendor since last year.

"The fun part is meeting a lot of the people," he said. "They ask me about my eggs and if my chickens are happy."

Aside from the farmers market, Schrodl sells eggs on Waterview Farm, where customers are trusted to take cartons from a small refrigerator under the deck behind his raised ranch, leaving the money.

"I've never had a problem," he said of the honor system.

On Thursday afternoon, when Schrodl opened the refrigerator door it was empty.

"You see, today was a good day," he said. "It was full this morning."

Prices range from $1.50 for a dozen small sized eggs to $3.50 for extra large. Waterview Farm also sells duck eggs at $3 a dozen (though there are not many in stock this year) and $2 for Guineas Hen eggs.

"A lot of people will return egg cartons here and at the farmers market," Schrodl said. "As long as they're clean, I'll use them."

The chickens on Schrodl's farm produce up to 10 dozen eggs a day.

"Last year I had 70 chickens and I'd go to the farmers market with 30 dozen eggs and be sold out in an hour-and-a-half," he said with a smile. "I had to kick it up this year."

With double the number of chickens, Schrodl said he brings between 40 to 50 dozen eggs to the market every Friday, when Monroe Farmers Market is held from 3 to 6 p.m.

Another farmer is known for bringing eggs to Shelton's farmers market, so Schrodl just started bringing his vegetables there this year.

"Next year, I hope to do three farmers markets," he said. "I may have to hire an employee."

Animal farm

The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and the sun shone in full force Thursday, when Schrodl walked toward a fence in the back of his property. Alice, his black llama, and Benny the brown alpaka trotted up to greet him.

Benny was protective over Alice and kept bleeting and climbing on her.

Jack and Jill, a pair of twin goats, milled around them and, off in the distance, a white llama ate grass near the pond that served as the inspiration for Waterview Farm's name.

Ducks swam on the surface of the water and a pen was full of peacocks. The chickens are closer to the front of the property and live in sheds and a coup.

The property has been owned by the Schrodl family for decades.

"This is my parent's house," he said. "I lived here since I was 12-years-old. I always had goats, chickens, rabbits and ducks growing up."

"I like the animals," Schrodl said. "I always liked the animals. I sit down in a lawnchair and just watch them. The llamas chase the goats around the barn, but they're just playing."

When families come to Waterview Farm to buy eggs, Schrodl said the children always get a charge out of seeing his animals.

The ultimate goal

Four years ago, Schrodl's uncle, John Stoffan, gave him about two acres from his neighboring property and Schrodl decided to apply for a farming designation, which carries a lower tax rate.

He needed a name on the application and came up with Waterview Farm, because Pondview was already taken.

"He still lives in Monroe," Schrodl said of Stoffan. "He has about 30 acres left. My family bought this land in '42."

Shrodl's said his wife, Olga, doesn't quite share the same passion for his hobby. Though, she may not mind his ultimate goal.

Schrodl said, "My goal is to one day have the property pay for itself."


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