Brenda & Doug Loveberry -Loveberry’s Funny Farm Campground

By Elyse Apel

Run by the Loveberry family for over 20 years, Loveberry’s Funny Farm Campground is the perfect place for your family’s very own summer getaway! Located on the border of Ohio and Michigan near Pioneer, Ohio, the campground is open every year from the third weekend in April through the second weekend in October.

“I grew up at the campground, so this was my home,” explains Brenda Loveberry who runs the campground with her husband, Doug. “My husband grew up in Coldwater, so when we met and married, we lived up in Quincy for about two years before deciding we were interested in taking over the campground.”

At that time, it was run by Brenda’s grandparents, who first started the campground in 1971. In 2001, Brenda and Doug decided to take it on.

“We had a vision for raising our own children on the campground and having a family-run business,” Brenda explains. Over the past 25 years, that vision has come to life, as the Loveberry family has raised their ten children on the property while managing and expanding the campground.

“My husband came up with our slogan, ‘Run by family, for family.’ So, this has definitely been a family venture and over the last nine years or so, we have done it mostly ourselves,” Brenda says. “Our oldest daughter is our activities director, while all our other kids also take part in one way or another . . . it’s really neat to see how each of them takes on a different part of the business.

” The campground is set on 63 acres, with options for tent camping, RV camping, pull-through sites, and even cabin rentals.

“We have seasonals as well as weekend camping,” Brenda explains. “Because we are situated on 63 acres, there’s tons of areas to explore.”

A swimming pond, volleyball, and fishing are all available, while campers can also participate in seasonal activities that run all summer, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. These events are themed, with the activities changing from week to week, but always connected to the theme for that week.

“For example, we might have a nature weekend, with a craft on Saturday morning that is tied in some way to nature,” Brenda says. “A lot of our activities are ones that the whole family can take part in.”

In September, the campground also hosts a harvest party, which celebrates everything fall with hay rides, activities, and much more.

Since taking over the campground, Brenda and Doug have made it their mission to expand and modernize the amenities on site to give visitors the best experience possible.

“When my husband and I took over, there was a lot to tackle. We were a young family and just starting out, so we couldn’t tackle it all at once,” Brenda explains. “But, 25 years of being here has paid off. We have added in 60 new seasonal sites, our bathrooms are newly remodeled, we have two new playgrounds, and just a lot of excitement for more and more changes to come.”

Currently, the campground has over 200 seasonal sites, but over 350 sites altogether. Available amenities include a camp store, golf cart rental, bathrooms and showers, dump stations, and even a snack shop with ice cream, snow cones, and more. Ice, LP gas, and firewood are all available for purchase, while the Loveberrys are also planning to add laundry facilities in the near future.

Outdoor fun in a family-oriented atmosphere is what Loveberry’s Funny Farm Campground is all about.

“That’s the heartbeat of who we are,” Brenda says. “We love families, we love to see families connect and make memories together.” She adds that, as a part of that, the campground often hosts family reunions.

“We have families that have family reunions here and we have been able to service them by having group camping areas, and some of those reunions will even use our activities space for family gatherings, dinners, lunches, etc.”

Brenda says they hope to just continue to get the word out about the campground to more of the surrounding communities so they can also experience that with their families.

“It’s so rewarding to see folks that camped here 20 years ago and now their children are coming, bringing their own families,” she says. “It’s really fun to hear those stories of people who camped here a long time ago and now they are coming back because they remember how special that camping experience was for their family.”

To make a reservation, call (419) 737-2467 during office hours. Office hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

For more information,visit www.loveberrysfunnyfarm.com or the campground’s Facebook page @ LoveberrysFunnyFarmCampground.