Hot News

9.01.2007

By Tamara Scully
AFP Correspondent

NEWTON — Windy Brow Farms has long been a fixture in the landscape in Sussex County.
Originally a dairy farm, its transformation into an orchard began in the 1920s. The farm was purchased by local residents Jim and Linda Hunt in seven years ago.
The 120 acres, situated high on a ridge, is planted in peach, plum, nectarine, pear and apple trees.
Some original apple trees from the 1940s remain, and the Hunts have continued to expand their offerings, planting more trees and newer varieties — all semi-dwarfs — each season. They recently added a sweet cherry crop as well.
Two-thirds of the farm, which consists of approximately 5,000 trees, is planted in apples. The orchard boasts more than 30 varieties. Jersey Macs begin the season in early August, and Granny Smiths finish it out at the end of October.
Other varieties here include Cox Orange Pippins, Macouns, the ever-popular Honeycrisps and the mundane-but-in-demand Red Delicious.
Peaches are also numerous here. With 1,000 trees and more than a dozen types, the peach season at Windy Brow Farms runs from early July through early September. They currently are picking their last variety of the season to ripen, the Loring.
Six types of plums were available in August, as are the nectarines. The pears are ready in October.
Windy Brow Farms, however, is more than just an orchard.
There is also a commercial kitchen which produces “from-scratch” pies, muffins, breads and famous apple cider doughnuts. They are all made from fruit grown on the farm. In fact, the Hunts are very particular about using their own fruit, or that from other local area farmers if they don’t happen to grow it themselves. It is all homemade, onsite.
Jim Hunt describes the bakery as “a big part of our business.”
Although it does cost a lot to run the bakery, the value-added homemade products are in great demand, and the Hunts feel that it is an investment — in time and labor — that is well-made.
The apple cider donuts, Hunt said, are one of their “signature baked goods,” with quite a following. The pies are also a hot item, with about 200 pies per weekend sold during peak apple season, and about 600 pies sold over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The retail market also sells country decor and giftware, as well as jams and jellies. The Hunts have posted lots of educational signs, explaining the characteristics of the many varieties of fruit they grow. They provide recipes as well, and attempt to impart some “agri-education” to their customers. For example, when a customer requests an apple pie in July, the Hunts explain that local apples aren’t available for another few weeks.
Another vital part of the farm is the cider press. Windy Brow presses its own cider for sale a the farm store. The farm also grows a small array of vegetables.
Hunt said the farm “has potential in a good growing year for 5,000 bushels” of apples.
With another 2,000 trees recently planted, he anticipates that yield increasing in a few seasons. One of the challenges the Hunts face is determining how much quantity of each type of apple to pick for retail sale, anticipating which varieties will sell well and which are not as popular. Currently, the Hunts do a small amount of wholesaling to other local farm stands. Hunt is hoping to begin supplying Whole Foods Markets with apples, and to increase the supply available to supermarkets as his new trees mature.
All fruit is sorted by quality, not size. “We’re more interested in sorting out bruised and blemished fruit,” rather than sorting by size. While they do sell some “seconds” for home canners and bakers, most of that fruit is used on-site in the bakery.
Windy Brow is a PYO destination for locals and out-of-towners alike during apple season. They offer haywagon rides into the orchard on weekends only. During the week, closer areas of the orchard are available for customers to pick. PYO is a main attraction at Windy Brow.
“It’s how we survive,” Hunt said.
Hunt estimates that 75 percent of his PYO customers are not from the local area. However, about 75 percent of the school apple-picking trips hosted at the farm are from local school districts.
Aside from the PYO, most of the picking here is done by Hunt himself, with the assistance of orchard manager Mike Decker.
Hunt relies on Decker to keep a close watch on disease and insect pressure, and to provide expert pruning guidance to keep the trees in peak condition. Hunt also participates in Rutger’s IPM program, which he credits with helping to keep chemical input costs to a minimum. Yet even though his chemical use has dramatically decreased over the past seven years, the cost for chemical inputs has risen.
Decker is the only full-time employee at Windy Brow, with several part-time employees needed to run the farm store. While local teenagers are willing work in the farm store, finding field workers isn’t as easy.
“To find people to go out and weed and pick ... it’s tough,” Hunt said. “We struggle with it every year.”
He has come to rely on immigrant labor to assist with the pruning during the winter, and with the apple picking during peak season.
Another area in which lack of manpower impacts is the ability to participate in the many area farmers’ markets. Windy Brow Farms currently participates in one market each Sunday. Hunt laments the shortage of staff that prevents him from seeking out more markets in which to participate. Hunt calls the burgeoning of new markets “wonderful outlets for the agricultural industry” and said he feels that they are so successful because they attract a consumer who is already interested and eager to purchase farm-fresh foods.
Windy Brow Farms is gearing up to start their busiest season, as Sept. 8 is opening day for PYO.
The farm is open seven days a week, from July through December. Windy Brow Farms is located on Route 519 in Fredon Township. Call 973-579-9657 for further information.