"Pick Your Own" Fruits at Battleview Orchards
Battleview Orchards, a family owned and operated farm, located in Freehold, New Jersey, harvest locally grown fruits and invite the public to "Pick Your Own.
Battleview Orchards History Time Line
First Generation
1908 - Charles R. and Carrie Applegate purchase 130 acres to be used as a general farm. Deeded as Battleview Farm.
1928 - Charles' son, Leslie, becomes first National President of Future Farmers of America.
Second Generation
1929 - Charles dies and his two sons, Leslie and C. Richard take over the farming. The two brothers now grow 500 acres of apples in the Wemrock Road area and sell mostly through the wholesale market.
1939 - New Jersey ranked sixth in the U.S. and Monmouth County ranked second in NJ for apple producing counties. Today there are less than 250 acres of apples and peaches grown in Monmouth County.
1945 - Difficulties arise with the brothers working relationship. Their partnership terminates and the orchards are divided. Leslie operates Battleview Orchards and C. Richard operates Wemrock Orchards.
1964 - Retailing begins in the barn that dates back to the Revolutionary War. The barn is still standing on Wemrock Road.
1965 - 100 acres of Leslie's farm is condemned and purchased by the State of New Jersey under the Green Acres Program. The 100 acres is part of the present day Monmouth Battlefield State Park.
1965 - Leslie at age 50, decides to retire and sell his remaining acreage and cold starage to his son, Norman and his wife, Betty Lou.
1969 - Battleview Orchards retail market opens on Wemrock Road, down the street from the old barn. The retail market replaces an old cider mill and packing house operation. The new retail location includes state of the art packing and processing equipment.
1969 - Battleview's famous Apple Cider Donuts are introduced to the market by Betty Lou.
1970 - Norman purchases additional acreage on Kinney Road expanding the operation to include peaches, strawberries, blueberries, sour cherries, and pumpkins.
1972 - Battleview Orchards becomes one of the first farms in NJ to offer "Pick Your Own" fruit. The "Pick Your Own" Membership card is created to keep in touch with the picking customers. It is still used today.
1987 - Norman sells his farmland on Kinney Road and exits the wholesale
market to concentrate his efforts on the growing retail and "Pick Your Own". Betty Lou retires from the business and leaves Norman and their son, Scott, to run the business.
1989 - Scott marries Lisa, who joins the business in 1990.
1990 - Norman divides his time between NJ and his newly planted orchard in Vermont.
1991 - School tour program is reintroduced by Lisa.
1995 - Norman sells the business to Lisa and Scott, and devotes all of his time to his Vermont orchards. (He has since fully retired and lives with Betty Lou in Georgia)
1995 - The retail market is doubled in size, expanding the produce department and installing a larger bakery area and donut area.
2002 - Scott re-introduces Strawberries to the crops grown here at Battleview. Strawberries are now grown on plastic beds and the strawberry plants are planted every year in September.
2003 - Roof collapses due to heavy snow causing total demolition of the original building. The retail market is rebuilt within five months.
2006 - The introduction of our own grown sweet corn. It was a tremendous success and is now a part of the crops we grow.
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Apple Picking at Battleview Orchards - 2010by coyotebullet2002134 views
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