There’s a crow that sits on top of the chicken coop at Sweetfields Farm, and it’s best friends with the chickens.

How does Farmer Ted Kessel know this? Because every time a chicken hawk comes close by, the crow goes into a four-alarm freak-out even trying to alert. Also, whenever a fox comes close to the chicken coop, there’s the crow diving at it.

And what does the crow do all this for? Every day he steals an egg. And every day the chickens let him. The chicken coop is the newest addition to Sweetfield's Farm in Masaryktown, just a hop, skip and jump from Brooksville.

They are open on weekends until Memorial Day for farm activities, including a 7-acre sunflower maze. The coop is part of the farm, along with Kessel’s wife, fellow farmer Lisa Kessel.

“We try to incorporate things that happen to us each year, the year we got pigs, we got a pig, the year we built a barn we did a barn. Lisa’s really into overalls this year. We did a farmer lady with overalls,” said Ted Kessel.

Lisa Kessel is actually sporting overalls when she takes us to the U-Pick flower field. “When we are in harvest time, it’s extremely rewarding to be out here in the morning. Not only are the fragrances at their peak, and also just the way the sun hits the crop in the morning, it’s absolutely beautiful, it’s peaceful, you get to hear the conversation of the animals out here as well,” said Lisa Kessel.

Bees, Birds, pigs, goats and of course the chickens. Bouquets are filled with zinnias and sunflowers mixed with lemon basil. And the leftover leaves from bouquet-making, it’s a goat fave!!!

For the pigs, harvest time also means extra veggies, and they are ready for it, that and muddy holes in their enclosure. It’s the 14th spring harvest season for the Kessels, who are determined to make a life with their two children on the farm. It’s been everything to them.

"So you asked me earlier, you said, ‘how does it feel in the morning when you walk into the field to do your chores?'" said Lisa Kessel. “The energy that comes off of the sunflower field, unbelievable. You can't help but have a smile that goes from cheek to cheek. And by the end of cutting, your cheeks are hurting so bad. The smells, the sounds, everything is just unbelievable.”