North Star Orchard

Unique varieties of fruit and vegetables

North Star Orchard is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania and specializes in growing high quality produce, many varieties of which are not available commercially. All of the fruits and veggies are sold at area producer-only farmers' markets and the farm's CSA.

The farm consists of hundreds of varieties of unique and heritage apples, dozens of varieties of peaches and plums, as well as several varieties of Asian and European pears, nectarines, and a wide assortment of vegetables.

Farmers' Markets and CSA

Many of the fruits and vegetables are sold at area producer-only farmers’ markets. Please check here for farmers' market information, including locations and times.

Additionally, Fruit and Vegetable CSA Shares are available each year. You can enjoy the best of the farm's produce by becoming a CSA Member. As a member, you pre-pay a seasonal fee, and then receive a weekly supply of the best the farm has to offer during the harvest season. We will start accepting new CSA members in the beginning of February (2011 members will have the opportunity to sign up for 2012 in January), but you can still look at all of the details about the CSA here. If you are interested in becoming a member in 2012, and haven't been a member in the past, please email us so we can notify you when signups begin.

Sponsor a Tree!

In 2012, we will be planting a new large block of orchard. This is an exciting time for our farm; one full of hope and promise for the future of fabulous food. We invite you to be a part of our new adventure by sponsoring a tree or two (or more). It is a great gift for yourself or your friends and family!

Baby Asian pear, peach, and up 200 apple varieties (including Gold Rush and a bunch of fascinating antique varieties) are available for sponsorship. Click here for full details. This is a gift you'll find nowhere else, and it's a great way to get even more connected with the farm!

Connections and Employment Opportunities

Stay connected with what's going on at the farm and farmers' markets by signing up for our email newsletter and becoming a fan on Facebook. Read about farming and food-related issues on our blog. Plus, you can see a bunch of pictures of the farm on our Flickr page.

Want to get your hands dirty? We are interviewing now for farm helpers for next season. Please check here for 2012 staff openings.

More About the Farm

North Star Orchard is a small farm specializing in unique varieties of high-quality fruit. We sell all of our products directly to consumers at area producer-only farmers' markets and through our CSA; we do not sell through wholesale channels. Our business is known for its abundance of apple varieties (now numbering in the hundreds), unique Asian pears, and the high standard of quality in all of our fruits and vegetables.

We have always been interested in both growing unusual varieties of fruit and vegetables 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 of certain fruits which are not traditionally grown. Our apples are usually antique/heritage varieties, or very new and disease-resistant varieties (we also breed some of our own apple 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. We have a large variety of both European and Asian plums, offering a wide range of sizes, colors, and flavors. We grow many heritage vegetable varieties, and have started saving seeds of those varieties that are particularly interesting or hard to find.

Although we all work hard on the farm to grow fabulous food, we like to have fun, too! To the right is a slideshow of some fun on the farm.

We enjoy very much our interaction with customers at the markets and with members of our CSA. It gives us a lot of satisfaction to have a real connection with the people who are eating the food that we grow. We encourage people to buy locally as much as possible, to help ensure the sustainabiltiy of our local food system.

Click here to learn more about the farm's history, the farm family, and their farming philosophy.