The History of Twin Springs Fruit Farm
How We Started and Our Future
Twin Springs Fruit Farm is set on the south western edge of Adams County, Pennsylvania where we own some of the best fruit ground in the world. The farm is located on beautiful rolling hills, which are essential to prime fruit ground, as the air and water drainage are needed to assure a good crop and to help prevent spring frost damage.
The soil, Highfield silt loam is the product of glaciers grinding down the mountains thousands of years ago, releasing trace minerals which are then available to all of our crops. Trace minerals are what give our fruits and vegetables the extraordinarily high quality and flavor our long term customers have come to appreciate.
The original 22 acres were purchased in 1979, and an additional 50 acres were bought a couple of years later. Since then another 28 acres have been added. None of the acreage had any plantings worth maintaining, and the original four partners struggled to replant trees worth cultivating.
Around this time we started attending our first farmers’ markets in the D.C. area. It was a matter of survival, having lots of costs and debts; we couldn’t afford to do the same old business model of growing apples for factory use.
Since the retirement of three of the original partners Twin Springs has become a true family farm, with Aubrey King and his two sons, Michael and Jesse, having taken over ownership and day to day operations at the farm. There are also a core group of key employees who make everything work.
We took note of the appreciation of our customers and the returns which we received from retail rather than wholesale marketing; and the rest is history. Twin Springs now attends 20 markets a week. We learned early on to listen to the customer and to grow what they wanted.
We have branched out and now grow a multitude of fruits and vegetables, most of which are listed on our website. The times and days of our markets are also on the website, as well as photos and more information.
Twin Springs Fruit Farm – voted “Best of DC” for apples by the City Paper
Some amazing writeups!
Twin Springs Fruit Farm – Dishing the Dirt
Posted on October 9, 2014 by CFM
Business Profile: Twin Springs Fruit Farm
October 3, 2019 by Charles Stangor | Gettysburg Connection
Our visit to Twin Springs Fruit Farm
September 10, 2013 by CFM