Waterman family expanding annual fall festival, preserving farming legacy in Indy

The southeast side of Indianapolis has been home to seven generations of the Waterman family, which has farmed parcels in the area for much of that time. About 50 years ago, Bruce and Carol Waterman took a big step toward a new, public-facing endeavor called Waterman’s Family Farm. Those seeds planted on 50 acres at 7010 E. Raymond St. soon brought folks from across central Indiana for you-pick produce — including strawberries, tomatoes and corn — and its five-week Fall Festival for autumn enthusiasts and families who love playgrounds, corn mazes and amusement rides. This year’s festival with several added attractions is its biggest yet. Waterman’s Family Farm was founded in 1978. Bruce and Carol’s children and grandchildren are now intimately involved in running the attraction. Bruce, who had a passion for farming the family land, passed away several years ago. An outside party now handles farming responsibilities, and Bruce’s descendants are leaning even more heavily on the agritourism side of the Waterman legacy to make their living. Scott Waterman, co-owner of Waterman’s Family Farm, and his daughter, Taylor Waterman, are the guests this week on the IBJ Podcast to discuss the growth of the festival, which attracted about 15,000 ticketed attendees last year and already has surpassed that total this year. They also discuss the challenges of running a seasonal business and their devotion to promoting agriculture in Indianapolis even as most of the farms in the area have long since been supplanted by housing and highways.