Farm Fresh, Local Food is a Family Tradition

At Treelicious, we are keeping a family tradition of farming alive for its 7th generation. Located in western New Jersey, in the heart of Warren County, alongside a stop on the old Morris Canal, our 130-acre orchards produce many varieties of fruit, both heritage varieties and new hybrids. Ed and Carol Kesler purchased this working farm back in the 1980s as a place to raise both a family and the proper food to feed them.

The well-drained hillsides are perfect for fruit trees, and they reminded Ed of his childhood home in West Virginia “hollers.” Carol got a chance to bring her childhood memories to life when she opened Just Made Bakery in October 1997 and started using the recipes with which she grew up.

The family tradition continues, with son James managing the day-to-day farm operations, greeting and guiding the “pick-your-own” visitors, and spreading the word about good, local food.

We strive to bring the most current methods of low-impact farming, like low pesticide integrated pest management to the task of preserving the best-tasting traditional varieties of apples, peaches, plums, pears, apricots, and cherries. Today, Treelicious Orchards grows 9 types of fruit, 73 varieties of apples and many varieties of vegetables over the growing season—following this same practice—minimal pesticide so the fruits and vegetables may be picked and enjoyed immediately, without scrubbing and peeling.