Sand Hill Stable

Sand Hill Stable Sand Hill Stable is a place where both people and horses bloom! 🌱 🌸
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The farm is set on a rolling 52 acres of farmland with a creek running through it and gorgeous views of the neighboring hills. Aside from boarding horses the farm is home to an emu, goats, miniature donkeys, and chickens.

Living in Shalersville township has brought up some interesting land use questions. As an agricultural community, land ...
06/07/2026

Living in Shalersville township has brought up some interesting land use questions. As an agricultural community, land is viewed as a way to make a living by growing crops or raising animals.

A year or two ago the county's park district, in collaboration with several other conservation organizations, acquired a 550 acre parcel in the township. This particular property had been left to sit for some time before the company that owned it, sold it. Parts of this property had been tended to and enjoyed by the surrounding neighborhood. In fact, I used to trail ride on that property when I boarded at a small nearby barn while this farm was in the process of being built nearly 20 years ago.

The issue with the land being conserved within a smaller agricultural township is that it takes that land out of the property tax pool. And it also is no longer available for any agricultural leases to the area farmers.

Then on the other hand we have the 250 acre property north of the turnpike that sold privately. It was then developed all the while the land was still taxed. This property now has a data center being proposed for the site. This has also taken away usable farmland from the farming community. However, what is being proposed is going to be very detrimental to the area and a drain on both water and electrical resources. Not to mention the slew of health concerns from being near such a facility.

One property is conserved and while it provides security from it being developed, it offers minimal financial support to local community. The other property does continue to provide taxes to the local community but it's development may have long term repercussions.

Somewhere there has to be a middle path. One in which the sale of large tracts of land is financially equitable to the landowner and also allows these properties to be preserved in a sustainable way that is still supportive to the local community.

*Please note that land stewardship is very important to me and was instilled in me from an early age. This is an opinion piece based around my observations and conversations around these topics since moving to this community.

This always fills me with awe...seeing a bird aloft on a blade or stalk in the field, swaying with wind, surveying for f...
06/05/2026

This always fills me with awe...seeing a bird aloft on a blade or stalk in the field, swaying with wind, surveying for food. One day I'll get a chance to get a better picture.

Don't forget there's another farm camp coming up July 13th to 17th. Still time to sign up!
06/04/2026

Don't forget there's another farm camp coming up July 13th to 17th. Still time to sign up!

06/04/2026

We recently switched over to night turnout for the summer months. For this younger horse it's been a bit exhausting! He was out cold. Can't say I've ever heard a horse snore quite like this, had to investigate what was making this noise 🤣🤣🤣

Approximately 1500 bales taken off of our fields and put in the hay barn over the past 4 days. 💪Still one more field to...
06/03/2026

Approximately 1500 bales taken off of our fields and put in the hay barn over the past 4 days. 💪
Still one more field to cut & bale in the next weather break.

06/03/2026

Silly pony 🤣

06/02/2026

Now for something a bit more light-hearted on this page. 🤣

Yesterday the horse, Soncho, gained his wings. He had been with his owner for nearly 27 years. Our hearts and condolen...
06/02/2026

Yesterday the horse, Soncho, gained his wings. He had been with his owner for nearly 27 years. Our hearts and condolences go out to his owner.
A poem came to me instead of the usual horse bio:

He saw you through your childhood tears
And all those 4-H years.
He saw you through high-school drama
And to receiving your college diploma.
He saw you transition from being single,
And then being ready to mingle.
He saw you through getting married,
And those precious babies you carried.

You saw him through his young antics,
And all those moments he made you frantic.
You saw him through his early training,
And the injuries and illnesses that were emotionally draining.
You saw him young and strong and full of vigor,
And you saw him transition into old age and his joints getting stiffer.

And then one day there was the unknown last ride,
And you both took it in stride.
Then one day there was the last goodbye,
As the last breath he did gently sigh.

Do not cry, my dear,
For your four legged friend is always near,
As beautiful memories living in faded hoofbeats and carefree laughter,
In the whispering winds and dirt lanes where you once rode faster.

My father was an urban history professor at the University of Akron for many years. One of the things I remember him ex...
06/01/2026

My father was an urban history professor at the University of Akron for many years. One of the things I remember him explaining to me growing up was a little bit of how socioeconomics play a rather large role into how communities develop over time. Companies that know they will contaminate resources or cause biological harm with their manufacturing process or other means, often seek poorer sections of a community to place their infrastructure. Why? Because residents in those communities generally do not have the financial resources, education, or time to fight back.

The upfront short term financial gains are often enticing for an economically challenged community. However, the long term losses in pristine resources and health are immeasurable and often realized too late.

Rural America is the new economically challenged community. These data centers are intentionally targeting those areas. These companies would have done quite a bit of prior research in order to approach the communities most likely to agree so as not to waste their financial resources or time on sites more unlikely to accept the terms presented.

It is sad to be witnessing this playing out so close to home.

*picture is the farm's view of the Geis building from across the turnpike.

Roughly 700 bales put up in the barn today!Grateful for everyone who helped! Grateful for beautiful weather and it not b...
05/31/2026

Roughly 700 bales put up in the barn today!
Grateful for everyone who helped!
Grateful for beautiful weather and it not being 80+ degrees and humid for a change. 🙂
Still another 3 fields to go!
For first time with our own equipment and learning how it all operates, it's going fairly well.

Address

4311 State Route 303
Mantua, OH
44255

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 8pm

Telephone

(330) 221-8819

Website

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