farm
business .“ We ’ ve expanded the operation . Every generation bought more property and farmed more land .”
George Kuehm died at 81 years old on New Year ’ s Eve in 2015 . His grandfather established the business in 1894 , the farmstead then spanning 11 acres between the road and the Ramapo River . The property is now 42 acres , as contiguous parcels have been acquired , in addition to 28 acres in the Towaco section of Montville in Morris County .
Regulars like Kathy Ann Callahan , of Wayne , admire the family ’ s commitment to keeping the business thriving for so many decades .“ You feel like everyone ’ s working off the farm ,” she says . “ You know what I ’ m saying ? It ’ s their pride — it ’ s their pride in their farm .”
Norma Simmons moved from Fort Lee in Bergen County to neighboring Pequannock Township in Morris County at the end of March . She says the market is a “ blessing ” to her because she did not know where else to shop for produce before she found it .
At Farms View , Simmons says , the fruits and vegetables are fresh – so fresh , in fact , that the carrots she saw for sale still had dirt on them . “ I ’ m impressed ,” she says . “ I never found ahead of lettuce that was green , right down to where they cut itout of the ground . This is the only place where I can say I ’ ve found that .”
Small chalkboards showing the costs of each item for sale hang inside the market from metal rods , which are fastened to wooden ladders suspended from the ceiling .
Despite the rustic presentation , the farm is a pricey enterprise to run . And with record inflation and the expense of diesel oil , Todd Kuehm says , “ We ’ re getting hammered like everyone else .” Fertilizer , alone , has more than doubled in cost , he says . “ We ’ ll know at the end of this year ,” says Kuehm . “ Whatever ’ s left in my pocket — that ’ s what we made for a profit . If it ’ s not enough , you adjust harder next year .”
FRESH FOR FALL ( This page , clockwise from top ) Farms View Roadstand ready to serve customers ; mums for sale ; corn ; radishes ; ( opposite ) Irene Kuehm , owner of Farms View Roadstand , inspects her homegrown tomatoes ; pumpkin-picking season .
There are other challenges : Drought , or the opposite adverse condition , rain . Too much of it at the same time can cause a devastating flood like the one that happened during the height of Hurricane Irene in August 2011 . The farm ’ s crop of pumpkins was consumed by the swollen river . “ We ’ re at Mother Nature ’ smercy ,” says Kuehm .
24 FALL 2022 WAYNE MAGAZINE