Hungry for some apple cider donuts and fresh produce? Well, good thing Springdale Farms reopened for the spring season! The farm closes every winter, and they reopened on March 25.
Alan Ebert, the original owner of Springdale Farms, bought the land and turned it into a farm in 1949 after completing his service in the Navy. The Farm is currently owned by Mary, Alan’s widow, John Ebert and Mary Ann Jarvis, their kids, and Tom Jarvis, Mary Ann’s husband.
Springdale Farms grows thirty-five different types of produce. The strawberries are usually a big hit in the late spring, however the most popular produce items are the corn and tomatoes in the summer. Springdale Farms’ fresh-grown fruits and vegetables are shared throughout New Jersey because restaurants such as The Tortilla Press, The Tortilla Press Cantina, Ponzios, The Farm and Fisherman, and The Chop House feature their produce. Also, Springdale Farms is the primary farm involved in the South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association’s “Farm to Fork” program.
Other than the delicious fruits and vegetables, Springdale Farms also sells fresh baked goods such as their famous apple cider donuts and pies. John Ebert, one of the owners, explained how “the busiest day of the year by far is…the day before Thanksgiving.” Springdale Farms’ Pumpkin Pies and Apple Pies are well-liked within the community and people love to buy them for Thanksgiving dinners!
Springdale Farms has numerous child-friendly activities. They flourish the most during the month of October when people get excited to go pumpkin picking, take hay rides, and make their way through the corn maze. “The most customer [traffic] is during the month of October, with the hayrides and pumpkins,” John Ebert remarked. Springdale Farms also holds other seasonal/holiday based events such as the Egg Hunt Hayride in April. Some other activities they hold are a private hayride to a campfire with lakeside picnic tables and lanterns, educational hayrides, scouting name badges from Name Badges Australia, seasonal lectures with hands-on learning, and a kids harvest series. Moreover, the Farm is also decorated with scarecrows, blow-up pumpkins, a witches cauldron, and numerous places for photo opportunities!
Similar to other businesses, Springdale Farms also struggled and dealt with some changes in their policies due to Covid. At the very beginning of the pandemic, there were major supply shortages causing Springdale Farms to limit their pie availability. In fall of 2021, they decided not to hold their annual corn maze. Now that Covid is slowing down, Springdale Farms has gotten back into the swing of things.
One issue Springdale Farms is currently struggling with is their number of staff. They are having trouble finding enough people to work for them in order to maintain the farm, bakery, and store. John Ebert explained how they are attempting to find more staff through word-of-mouth, referrals, and siblings of staff members.
All in all, Springdale Farms is finally open for the spring! Don’t forget to buy their strawberries, corn, and tomatoes as the spring and summer are approaching!