Jones Family Farms

Jones Family Farms is a 400-acre, 150 year old farm in the White Hills of Shelton, Connecticut. It has expanded from a simple dairy farm to a large assembly, including pick-your-own strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, and Christmas trees. The farm supports assorted crops and educational activities for kids and families of all ages. It began in 1848, by the Welsh-Irish immigrant, Philip James Jones, who sold lamb, eggs and other meats to the city folk in the neighboring town of Derby (Jones Family Farms 1). He used the phrase, “Be good to the land, and the land will be good to you” and it has been his family and the farm’s mantra ever since.

About the Farm

It is nestled on 400 acres with rows of growing Christmas trees, pumpkins and rustic homes and farmhouses used for the Jones’ purposes. They use multiple locations to harvest a plethora of products. Pumpkinseed and Valley Farm are commonly known for strawberry, blueberry and pumpkin picking (What to Do 3). There is a “Berry Ferry” that drives customers through the countryside to the designated area for picking that day. On the short drive through the fields, the farmer explains what each field is used or harvested for, and what season it falls under. Customers are given a basket to pick as much as they want, and are weighed at the end to determine a price. On the inside of each basket are recipes for whatever the customer is picking (What to Do 1). Country blueberry pie, or Balsamic Strawberry and Mozzarella Flatbread are a few examples of what Jones’ provides.

History

The farm has had seven generations of Jones family children carrying out the family business, all children adding something to the farm. It began with Philip Jones, son of Philip James Jones, who created a dairy farm from the simple operation his father started. His son, Philip Jones Jr., hated milking cows, so he started the Christmas tree farm, which has become the most popular and well-known aspect of the farm. He is now known as “Grandpa Jones” around the farm (Jones Family Farms 4).

The next generation added the strawberry and blueberry self-picking fields, such as Pumpkinseed Hill, which opened in 1985, and Valley farm. It brought a large amount of business to the farm, so he and his wife Jean bought a neighboring farm to deal with the increase in demand. That purchase made the farm the 400 acres it is today.

Jean Jones opened the farm’s harvest kitchen in 2009 as a part of her retirement (Jones Family Farms 2). Although it is not a café style operation, she sells her treats to the customers and offers cooking classes. Depending on the season, Jean teaches the students to prepare a meal from start to finish, using fresh, local ingredients. The website lists a more specific schedule, but she offers classes on Pasta Primavera, Herbed Roast chicken, steak and others. There are also specific classes such as “Thanksgiving with a twist” which features Duck, wild rice, fresh greens, and pumpkin pie (Jones Family Farms 3).

The winery opened in 2004, which is located on the Christmas tree farm property. The winery has expanded not only from wine tastings, but also to a small Christmas tree shop where trinkets, cider and cookies are sold (Jones Family Farms 3). The Christmas tree Farm:

The Christmas Tree Farm has over 200 acres of home grown Christmas trees, available for cut-it-yourself, or pre-cut. Fourth generation Philip Jones planted seeds for Christmas tree seedlings for a project, and some of those trees still stand on the outskirts of the property, standing over 100 feet tall. The farm grows six varieties of trees, including Blue Spruce, Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, White Fir and White Pine. Each tree takes eight to ten years until it is ready to be sold. The Homestead Barnyard was built along the tree fields to sell fresh cut trees, garlands, wreaths, pinecones, and other festive trinkets. In addition to the barnyard, there are shops that include Jones Winery, Holiday Gatherings Gift shop and Harvest Kitchen Canteen (Jones Family Farms 4).

Pumpkin Picking:

Every fall, Jones Family Farms have hundreds of pumpkins ready for sale to families, along with gourds, fresh apples, squash and others. Families with young children make the trip to the farm to see animals such as pigs and cows, to go on hayrides and to take on the corn maze. There is a festival the last weekend before October called the UNICEF Family Festival, which has games, costumes and activities, all whose profits go to a variety of charities. Jones Family Farms has donated over $120,000 since starting the festival in 1985 (Jones Family Farms 3).

Strawberry and Blueberry Picking:

Prime season for picking fruit is in the summer at Pumpkinseed Hill and Valley Farm. Pre-picked berries are not available; they must be picked by the customer to get the best fresh flavors. To keep away unwanted animals, the farmers must use balloons, noise cannons, rye grass and soap. Mesh nets also protect the blueberry fields. On average, animals eat about 30% of crops, so the farm must plant excess to have enough for customers.

The Winery:

The Jones Family Farm Winery is one of the newer additions to the farm, created in 2004 by Philip Jamison Jones. Since the grapes are grown on the farm, it allows for a variety of wines for tasting. The winery has Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Stonewall Chardonnay, Ripton Red and others. The Tasting Room is in a renovated 19th century dairy barn, where guests sample seven to eight different types of wine (Jones Winery 1). In addition to the Tasting room, the Harvest Kitchen gives guests an educational food experience including cooking classes and recipes, some of which customers can use the wine they try at the winery. Jones Winery has won several awards including Best Connecticut Wine for 2010 and 2011 by Connecticut Magazine, the Gold and Silver Metal at the 2008 Big E Wine Competition, Best in Show, Best CT Wine, Best Fruit Wine, and Double Gold Metal at the Big E Wine Competition, among others (Jones Winery 5).

External Links

• http://omnomct.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/pumpkins-gourds-cider-and-pie-a-perfect-fall-day-jones-and-beardsleys-cider-mill-and-orchard-shelton-ct/
• [https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com| Jones Family Farms Website]
• http://www.ctwine.com/wineries/jones-winery

Works Cited Del Ferraro, Dan, and Kristien Del Ferraro. "Pumpkins, Gourds, Cider, and Pie: A Perfect Fall Day @ Jones and Beardsley's Cider Mill and Orchard - Shelton, CT." OmNomCT. Wordpress, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. Jones Family Farms. 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. "What To Do." Jones Family Farms. Ctvisit.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. "Jones Winery”. Ctwine.com. Connecticut Wine Trail, 2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. "Jones Family Farms | Agrilicious! Featured Farm.” Agrilicious!, 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.