Farm stand open daily in season. We do not offer pick your own at our farm at this time. Sorry for any inconvenience. Two miles (going south toward Horseneck Beach) from the Head of Westport, at 594 Drift Road, is our farm, Noquochoke Orchards.The family has been farming the 79-acre orchard and farm lands since 1899. Five generations, four generations named George (Grandpa George, Papa George, Ge
orge Jr. and 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, nine kinds of pears, four 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, the famous Westport Macomber turnip, etc. Grandpa George and his wife Mary Anne bought the farm in 1899 from the grand-daughter 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 of the Point. When the Smiths 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 also love the newer varieties (Honey Crisp, Macouns, Fuji, Pink Lady, Mutzu, etc.). All of the children have played an important part in the workings of the farm. George and Mary Anne's son Alexander and his wife, Edale (Warren), took over the reins of the farm. They had five children, Doris (Mrs. Richard Mills), Alexander Jr. 'Bud', Herbert, Carolyn (Mrs. All did their part in preserving the lands for the next generations. Noquochoke Orchard, Inc. Corporation, that was begun in 1984. Bud and Herb are on the board of directors. Both men were also commercial fisherman 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) manage the farm today. The grandchildren do all the necessary chores of farm life— mowing, planting, picking, pruning, and selling are a few of these chores. 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 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 Massachusetts (Amherst) and the University of Rhode Island come to tell 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.
