Local. Fresh. Fifer.

Monday, July 04, 2011

A short trip down the road from some real turkeys, you'll find yourself at Fifer Orchards. 4 generations have been providing Delmarva with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, 35 types of apples, tomatoes, corn, 2,400 acres, and -well, this place has it all! I was surprised to find that I wasn't greeted by air conditioning at their Camden-Wyoming market. Only old school ventilation for this county store, propped open doors and all! It's good ol' fresh air for Fifer produce. Mike Fennemore, of the 4th generation, was my "produce yoda" for the day. We headed down the dirt road to the strawberries and blueberries. Offering only the best of the best, you can pick 'em yourself with their U-Pick. More than just fresh, U-Pick provides family fun! How do they produce such quality? At Fifer, crops are rotated every 4 years. Rotation ensures quality and replenishes the ground. Depleting the ground isn't good for anyone, consumer or producer, so why do it?! Onward to the tomatoes and extravagant tunnels, known as high tunnels, allows Fifer to have tomatoes as late as Christmas. It may be 40 degrees outside, but inside these tunnels you can feel the heat. So okay, everything looks delicious, but is it treated and pumped full of "whatcha call its--pesticides?" While Fifer isn't certified organic, they are darn close. Rather than spraying for any old bug or pest, they test first. Once they know what the problem is, they treat it. Bugs be gone! More than produce, Fifer is an active community partner. They hold festivals year round, attracting folks from far and wide. Mike Fennemore, a Virginia Tech graduate, came on a few years ago helping to expand the farm and the brand. Bigger and better than ever, Fifer never loses sight of what's important-taste! Hey chef Dennis, I want to know why you like this Fifer Orchards so much- "Fifer has great food. Not only is their produce brought from farm to our kitchen on a weekly basis, but they can get other local products such as honey and ice cream that is difficult to get from larger purveyors." Alrighty then. I'm hooked! "Eat Local. Taste Fresh." It's a simple philosophy, but jam packed with quality. Literally.

country store-fresh air and all!