by Kirsten Eckelmeyer
As a kid, visiting the farm from Connecticut was such a special time. Some of the most memorable moments I have are from Apple Day and Thanksgiving time. Thanksgiving has always been an “event” at the farm. With members of both sides of the family joining, sometimes bringing with them friends from different parts of the country or even the world, it wasn’t uncommon to have 30+ people.
Hosting all kinds of guests is just the way it’s always been at the farm. Pam & Gary have regularly opened up their home to so many people from far and wide. It’s no surprise that the farm has become a welcoming and special place for the local community as well as a must-see destination for visitors.
My family and I have been the beneficiary of their generosity on multiple occasions. In 2005, between returning from traveling abroad and heading off to grad school in Oregon, my boyfriend (now husband) and I spent the summer living and working at the farm. Then in 2009, we were lucky enough to have our wedding at the farm.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, and my many years of thinking about living closer to family and the farm turned into action, there wasn’t any other place we wanted to be. I said goodbye to my corporate life at Nike, put our Portland house on the market, and took a leap of faith, arriving in Princeton in August 2020.
Once both kids were back to school in person full-time in the fall of 2021, it was time for me to go back to work. But I didn’t want to return to the corporate world. This was my chance to do something different and meaningful. So of course, I asked Tannwen if they needed any help. The next day, there I was, back at the farm.
I’ve been back at the farm now for about a year and a half. From working in the store and helping with education programs, to managing social media and digital marketing efforts, I have a fresh perspective. I always knew they worked tirelessly year-round, but I am even more in awe of the breadth and depth of that hard work and everything the Mount family accomplishes. They are constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of not just agriculture, but retail, sustainability, community education, event production, and small business operations. It speaks volumes that many of the staff have been there for years, even decades, and multiple generations of customers have made the farm a regular part of their lives.
Since my childhood, and especially within the 15+ years since that summer I lived at the farm, so much has evolved. Both Tannwen and Reuwai are now there full-time. The property has grown from 50 to 250 acres. Apple Day is now 7 weekends in the fall, instead of one. There are 4 new festivals in the spring and summer. And there is now a huge new barn with on-site cold storage, an updated bakery, a winery building, a vineyard, and organic farming operations. But what hasn’t changed is the Mounts’ commitment to their craft and their community.
I am grateful to be a part of this and for my kids to be near their cousins and to experience the same magic of the farm that I experienced as a kid. So for now (maybe forever?), I’ve ditched my corporate attire for boots, jeans and an Apple Corps t-shirt, and it feels really good.