130 Washington Street, #798, Rocky Hill, NJ 08553 info@montgomeryfriends.org

Chickadee Creek Farm

Photo credit: Khürt WilliamsCC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Now she is called Farmer Jess, but it wasn’t always so. It wasn’t always clear where her destiny lay in the years after Jessie Niederer graduated from Cornell University. In those early days, Jess believed that her path lay in conservation, disaster relief or development work. She tried her hand at all of them until the pull of 12 generations of Niederer farmers drew her to follow family tradition. A Niederer farm has existed in the Hopewell Valley since 1910, starting as dairy farmers. Today Chickadee Creek Farm focuses on growing wholesome organic fruits and vegetables and is USDA certified organic.

Chickadee Creek Farm rests on 80 acres along Titus Mill Road in Pennington, NJ, where they grow vegetable varieties selected for flavor and suitability to the local climate, including zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers to sweet lettuces, delicious melons, and colorful flowers. Their goal is to live sustainably and make healthy, flavorful and affordable food available to the public. A portion of the farm is classified as “Transitional organic”, a three-year process of converting and certifying legacy acreage into organic farmland.

Their tasty and healthy produce is available at the Montgomery Farmers’ Market. You can visit the farm to pick your own or buy a farm share for a steady supply of freshly picked goodness throughout the growing season. Farmer Jess offers apprenticeship/internship opportunities, as well as work shares for those who are interested in working for their food. For those who just like to get out and work in good clean soil, volunteers are welcomed. To learn more, go to their website.