Noquochoke Orchards celebrates 110 years - 1899-2009

EverythingWestport.com

Thursday, November 12, 2009

“We had a bumper crop this year,” Sue Smith said with that infectious smile that wins her so many friends. “The apples were so heavy I don’t know how they stayed on the trees. Just look at the difference between this year’s “pink lady” as compared to last year (pictured below, center).

Editor’s note: Between helping run the family farm, manning the fruit stand, and her involvement in many local groups like the Women’s Club, Sue found time to write a brief history and share her thoughts about Noquochoke Orchards.

http://www.noqorchards.com

Smith family has long tradition of family farming.

by Sue Smith

Westport - Two miles (going south towards Horseneck Beach) from the Head of Westport, at 594 Drift Road, is our farm, Noquochoke Orchards. This November the Smith family will celebrate 110 years of farming the 79 acre orchard and farm lands. Five generations, four generations named George (Grandpa George, Papa George, George Jr., George IV), have worked the soils and cared for the trees, with family pride at all they have accomplished.

From a few trees, there are now over 36 acres of orchard trees. Ninety-eight varieties of apples, 16 types of peaches, 9 kinds of pears, 4 kinds of plums, nectarines, quince, strawberries, and blueberries are being harvested by family members and friends. In the fields are crops of vegetables, such as summer and winter types of squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, tomatoes, and the famous Westport Macomber turnip.

Grandpa George and his wife Mary Anne bought the farm in 1899, from the granddaughter of William Ball, a whaling captain, who mastered the whaler "Theo Chase" from Westport Point in 1847. Captain Ball bought the land from Holder White, who owned most of the land on both sides of the river, from the Head to the Point. When the Smith's bought the farm, it already had an established orchard .We are well-known for our 'antique' apples (russets, yorks, starks, baldwins, graven stein, northern and red spy, winesaps, etc.) Customers love the newer varieties, also (honey crisp, macouns, Fuji, pink lady, mutzu, etc.).

“The most important thing people today must realize is that the farmer and his family play a critical role in the continuation of society. Without farmers harvesting crops from the land, and fishermen harvesting crops from the sea, people would not survive.” - Sue Smith, Noquochoke Orchards

All of the children have played an important part in the workings of the farm. George and Mary Anne's son, Alexander (pictured left) and his wife, Edale (Warren), took over the reins of the farm. They had 5 children, Doris (Mrs. Richard Mills), Alexander Jr. ‘Bud’, Herbert, Carolyn (Mrs. Paul Langlois), and George. All of the above did their part in preserving the lands for the next generations.

Today, Doris still goes to this area’s farmer markets. She is also the treasurer of the Noquochoke Orchard, Inc. Corporation, that was begun in 1984. Bud and Herb are on the board of directors. Both men also were commercial fishermen, and owned their own boats. The family bought out Carolyn's share a few years ago. Carolyn and her husband, Paul, own Town House Realty. George and his wife, Sue, and their children (Sandi, George Jr., Jim, and Annie) and Grandchildren, (George IV, Weston, J. Troy, Susie, Kely Anne, Allie, and Maggie) manage the farm today.

The grandchildren do all the necessary chores of farm life. Mowing, planting, picking, pruning, selling, etc., are a few of these chores. Jim is in charge of getting the crops to the wholesalers and restaurants. He is assisted by nephews, Tom and Ryan. Jim also does mowing, planting, picking, and farm mechanics and welding broken equipment. Sue and the daughters, and granddaughters, are in charge of retail selling at the farm stand. Sue also did school tours for local children for about 17 years.

George is president of the corporation, and manager of the farm and family. He is also a commercial shell-fisherman. He loves to take the grandchildren on the river that borders our lower fields, when the chores are done. He's teaching them the balance of work and play.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Seminars are held every few years at our orchard. Professors from the University of Mass (Amherst division), and the University of Rhode Island, come to tell the local farmers about new ideas in the farming field. The training helps farmers cut back on using pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. A cleaner fruit crop arises from this training. Most
area farmers attend these seminars and get pesticide accreditation.

Finding the balance of paying the grandchildren for work done, and chores that are family 'sharing and caring' (no pay) can sometimes be difficult. We are blessed, as the farm is as important to the last generation, as it was to George and Mary Anne. The most important thing people today must realize is that the farmer and his family play a critical role in the continuation of society. Without farmers harvesting crops from the land, and fishermen harvesting crops from the sea, people would not survive.

From the left: (1) Doris Mills in the orchard; (2) George (Sue’s husband) with parents Marianne and Alex Smith; and (3) local “junk-yard” artist Roger Chandanais’ artistic expression of George Smith strumming the bass.

“It is the 110th anniversary of our farm. I wrote this short story about the importance of a family farm, and how it effects all the generations that work on it. As the fifth generation working our farm, I love it as much as grandpa George did.” - Sue Smith, Noquochoke Orchards

From left to right: (1) against the backdrop of the stunning Westport River, George Smith loads the sorter with macouns; (2) apples bumping and rotating through the chute; and (3) Trippy (left), Dan (center), Doris in the background, and George sort and pack macouns for another delivery.

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