Fifers Orchard Field Trip

On our trip to Fifer’s Orchard, we got to see inside of the operation, which produces crops such as asparagus, apples, pumpkins, kale, cauliflower, strawberries, and peaches.  Their biggest money maker is sweet corn, but tomatoes produce the most revenue per acre. I was surprised by the diversity of the crops that they produce, but this shows that they are smart and efficient in producing crops that are desired and the most economically profitable, depending on the season.  They give new crops a chance and see what works and what doesn’t, which again demonstrates their ability to diversify and see what is economically viable. Fifer’s is a much bigger operation than what I had expected, with about three thousand acres of land. They employ fifteen to twenty full time laborers, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but they have ninety part time workers.   They seem like they operate relatively smoothly, with each of the family members doing their part to ensure that the business stays functional and profitable. There was a lot more than just planting crops going on which shows the diversity of jobs that are associated with agriculture. Retail and marketing is just as important as the actual farming, as well as making sure the right paperwork is filled out.  Overall, it was nice to see a behind the scenes look at the operation and learn about Fifer’s Orchard.

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