Autumn’s gentle breeze carries the soft fragrance of Korean pears, golden pears, apples, and grapes over the hundreds of acres of farmland that is Evergreen Farm in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Many of the farm’s loyal customers return each year to take in the beautiful scenery and go fruit picking. Some even travel hundreds of miles to visit.
After the owner of Evergreen Farm, Mr. Chong Il Kim, immigrated to the United States in 1984, he felt nostalgic for Korean Singo pears with their delicious honey-like flavor. He started to plant the pears in the United States in 1985. For 10 years, he and his wife worked six days a week to make a living, and then worked on their farmland on Sundays. Planting Koren species proved difficult. Because of the cold weather, the trees couldn’t survive. So the couple moved further south and started again. The lifespan of a fruit tree is 30 years, and it takes 6 years for a tree to produce fruit for harvest. When the year of their first harvest arrived, the orchard suffered from fire blight, causing huge losses. They had to build up their farm again.
The couple’s 12 years of labor came to fruition when they finally harvested the plump and flavorful Singo pears at Evergreen Farm. “Although we failed two times, we encapsulated these experiences in our third try and we nailed it. Our farm is the first and only one [in the United States] that has grown Singo pears successfully,” he said.
Evergreen Farm is set on 140 acres, with tens of thousands of pear and apple trees and other high-quality fruit trees. The farm includes many organic vegetables and crops. Its second orchard is set on 260 acres of farmland and is planted with a wide expanse of peach trees, grapes, and many other crops.
Korean Singo pears are the signature crop at Evergreen Farm. They are known as the sweetest pear in the world. When they are ripe, the skins turn a light yellow, and the flesh is white and translucent. The fruit is tasty and juicy. Hong Lo, a Korean variety of apple, is ripe for harvest in late August, while Fuji apples become available in late October. The apples grown at Evergreen Farm are crisp and sweet. After they’ve been chilled, they become even more flavorful. Evergreen does not wax their apples to extend their shelf life, so people can eat the peel without worry.
Fall is also harvest season for Evergreen’s grapes. The Korean rose-scented, dark-purple grapes contain more vitamins and minerals—selenium, iron, calcium, and zinc, for example—than common varieties. They are a highly nutritious fruit, good for easing fatigue. The chlorophyll and proanthocyanidin in them are also good antioxidants. Peaches are another of the farm’s best-sellers. When they are perfectly ripe, their fragrance will make your mouth water, and their ripe flesh won’t disappoint your taste buds.
Mr. Kim is a man of faith, so he refuses to plant any genetically modified crops. He believes that what the Creator bestowed upon human beings should be used in its original way instead of modifying it. That’s why the food from Evergreen Farm is pure and natural. Mr. Kim also actively gives back to his community. He holds an event for the Jungyangjeol festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month to show respect and care for the elders in the community. He cherishes traditional culture and believes that sharing is a source of happiness.
Web: Evergreenfarm.us
Tel: 609-259-0029
Address: 1023 Yardville Allentown Rd., Hamilton Township, NJ 08620
The harvest season is open to the public from July to November.
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