Producers and Farmers List for 2008 Oakmont Farmers' Market
North Star Orchard
Ike and Lisa Kerschner
Fruit, vegetables, and fruit butters, sauces and ciders
North Star Orchard website
North Star is a small orchard specializing in unique varieties of high-quality fruit. Its owners, Ike and Lisa, sell all of their produce directly to consumers at local "producer-only" farmers' markets, or through their own CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) known as "North Star Fruit Explorers." Their offerings include rare varieties of cherries, peaches, apples, plums/prunes, and apple pears. They also grow vegetables as well as prepared fruit butters, sauces, and ciders. Make sure to greet them and their son, Jay, who regularly helps out at the market, this season.
In their own words:
Our business is known for its abundance of apple varieties (now more than 60), our unique Asian pears, and our high standard of quality in all of our fruits and vegetables. We have always been interested in growing unusual varieties ... and in using the newest ideas in training and trellising. We are concerned about the environment and work hard to farm in a manner as sustainable and safe as possible.
We focus on varieties that are not traditionally grown. Our apples are either antique or heritage varieties, or newer disease-resistant varieties. Our Asian pears are unique in the fact that very few are grown at all on the East coast of the USA. Plus, they are tended with the utmost care, so we can pick and sell Asian pears that are at their peak of flavor and crunch. Our plum, peach, and cherry varieties are also unique ... again, either new or heritage varieties.
We enjoy very much our interaction with customers at the markets where we sell our fruit, vegetables, flowers, and other products. We feel that we have made a lot of friends at these markets! It gives us a lot of satisfaction to know that customers enjoy our products, and we enjoy the specific challenges associated with marketing at farmers' markets.
To see precisely these sentiments featured in Newsweek magazine's "My Turn" column, read Lisa's essay, "A Farmer's Labor of Love".
Fruitwood Orchards
Mike Nelson
Fruit, vegetables, jams, and honeys
Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm website
Fruitwood Orchards is located in Gloucester County, NJ and is famous for honey, jams, jellies and many types of fruits. They also bring a wide variety of vegetables to the market as well. Mike Nelson is a wealth of information on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a historic alternative to conventional pesticide-heavy farming, so if you are curious about how Fruitwood Farm's delicious fruits and vegetables are grown, be sure to ask him all about his sustainable farming practices.
Fruit wood Orchards has a long history - all the way back to the 1800s! More recently, 110 acres of orchards were planted, which yield apples, peaches, nectarines, pears, and cherries.
While perfecting these crops the farm branched (no pun intended!) into other fruits such as strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and wine grapes. Fruitwood ventured into honeybee husbandry as well:
We originally began raising honeybees to help in the pollination of our fruit trees. Other farmers, seeing our success with using honey bees for pollination, asked us to help them. Soon we were setting up beehives on their farms to aid in pollination of their various crops. Quickly, the pollination business became bigger than our fruit business.
From pollination to extracting honey from beehives is a very short step. We took that step and were rewarded with a delicious, flavorful honey. We sold this honey from a small covered table by the side of the road. Today, from our two locations in New Jersey and Florida, millions of honeybees in thousands of hives are transported to pollinate crops and produce honey across the country. Great care in processing honey is Fruitwood Orchards' way of assuring you the best tasting products possible.
Wimer's Organics
Bud and Barbara Wimer
Certified organic fruits and vegetables
Coming to our market for the first time this season, Bud and Barbara bring a full line of certified organic produce throughout the growing season. Operating as part of a work including 15 acres, two greenhouses, and a high tunnel, their crops include fresh lettuces, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Please welcome them as our newest vendors!
Blueberry Hill Farm
Clyde, Peggy, and Luke Dearolf
Fruits, vegetables, herbs, decorative gourds and corns
Blueberry Hill Farm is a third-generation Lancaster County family farm specializing in vegetables and fruits. The Dearolfs have long had a devoted following at the West Chester Market, and they are well on their way to developing equally adoring fans in Havertown! Peggy, also known as "Market Mom," is a wealth of information on cooking and gardening - if you are ever at a loss about how to cook something, just ask Peggy - she's guaranteed to have a great recipe. Watch for her strawberries and herbs in addition to homemade "birdhouses" and hand painted gourd centerpieces.
Schaeffer's Flowers
Beverly Schaeffer
Flowers and wreathes
Exploding with vibrant colors, beautiful shapes, and many sizes, Beverly's flowers are increasingly known throughout southeastern Pennsylvania for their high quality and longevity. With growing beds in nearby Lancaster County, Beverly brings only the best cuttings to the Oakmont Market throughout the spring, summer, and early fall.
Hillacres Pride
Mandy and Tom Arrowsmith
Cheeses, beef, pork, lamb, hummus
Hillacres Pride website
Hillacres Pride is a Lancaster County family farm that produces pastured, grass-fed cheese and beef, in addition to homemade cheese spreads, hummus, and other delectables! Hillacres Pride cheeses are made from 100% Jersey cow milk from one of Pennsylvania's oldest Jersey herds.
In their own words:
Our family farm is home to three generations of the Arrowsmith family, who provide the majority of the labor for the farm. The forage that our 65 cows and 50 heifers eat is grown on the farm and the cows are milked twice daily. Our cheese business was started to allow the next generation to experience the tradition of the family operation. Through farm life, we hope to provide a safe and happy childhood for our children, while teaching them to be responsible, caring and self-assured. We hope you enjoy our cheese.
Great Harvest Bread Co.
Jim Blumenstock and Kim Alexander, owners of the Great Harvest Bread Company and residents of Havertown
Breads and bakery goods, granola
Great Harvest Bread website
Great Harvest Bread is already well known in the Philadelphia area. They offer a broad range of delicious, organic, locally baked breads, and - always a treat - free samples!
In their own words:
We are a local, family bakery making the best in whole grain and specialty breads, muffins, scones, cookies and many other baked goods from "scratch" everyday. We get up before the sun, but that's how we can have all our products available for you, our customers on your way to school, work or just to stop and visit a special friend. Stop by our store, say hi and step up to our world famous breadboard to get a free slice of the best fresh, hot bread on the planet."
Backyard Bison
Rod Wieder
Bison meat and woolens
Backyard Bison website
Backyard Bison is a Bucks County family farm that produces hormone and antibiotic-free pastured bison steaks, roasts, ribs, burgers, franks and jerky. Owner Rod Wieder is on hand every week with free recipes and cooking tips, not to mention bison sweaters, socks, and other items!
In his own words:
Backyard Bison is a small, unconventional farm where we use common-sense practices to naturally produce good food that is good for you. Our Bison (American Plains Buffalo) are ranch raised with care here on our farm in Upper Bucks County in Pennsylvania. Our bison herd is on pasture as much as possible and we do not use hormones, steroids, or antibiotics with our Bison. We also do not use pesticides or herbicides on our pastures. We mix our own feed to ensure quality, and we never feed any waste products, animal by-products, urea, or Rabon to our bison.
our Bison meat has many outstanding qualities. It is very lean compared to beef, but it is still nice and juicy. Bison is also more tender than beef, and has a slightly sweeter taste than beef, and no, it is not wild or gamy tasting. Our gourmet quality bison meat is only available from our farm store and farmers markets, so stop by to discover the great taste of Buffalo. We have cooking tips and recipes available, and we love to "talk bison" so please feel free to ask us any questions that you may have about bison, bison meat, or how we raise our animals."
Backyard Bison has also made the news! Check out the WFMZ-TV story and video.
Spotted Hill Farm
Donna Howard
Goat milk soaps and body products
Spotted Hill Farm website
Spotted Hill Farm is located in Pottstown and produces goat milk soaps and lotions as well as olive oil and shea butter lip balms and other body products. Donna, a former Havertown resident, will be at the
market every other week to educate buyers on her newest breakthroughs in natural skin care.
In addition to their pure emollients, which are completely free of parabens (synthetic preservatives that can disrupt hormones) and other chemicals found in traditional moisturizers, Donna's products come in a variety of heavenly scents! Some of our favorites: Lavender and Woodsy Musk.
Lindenhof Farm
Axel Julius and Susan Linde
Chickens and eggs, turkeys, lamb, and pork
Lindenhof Farm website
Farmer Axel Linde provides pastured, humanely raised, natural free-ranging poultry (chickens and turkeys), lamb and eggs. Throughout the season he and his family offer whole chickens as well as chicken parts (breasts, legs, wings, and liver). The Lindes are well known for their whole fresh turkeys, available the week of Thanksgiving, that last year attracted a hungry line of happy Havertown residents a block long! Turkey parts, such as breasts and dark meat, as well as sausage, are also available.
In their own words:
All our animals are raised on our own 85-acre farm in southern Lancaster County. We like to have them outside on fresh green grass as much as possible. We use very little herbicides and just a few necessary items like dewormers and rodent control.
No artificial additives are given to the animals. The Lindenhof farm has been in our family for over fifty years with three generations helping with the daily chores.
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