Market

beautyhealthfitness

Bringing

from



A Visit to Quaker Valley Orchards

By Pattie Cinelli

Farm Market to



W inn and Fredi Schulteis have been making

their living as farmers for eight years. I first

met Fredi at the Freshfarm Market on H St., NE

farm in Biglersville, PA, about two hours from D.C.

at noon on a sunny, warm Friday, I was overwhelmed

by the majesty of the house. It didn’t look like any

days farming was profitable. Winn’s parents could

sell their fruit to a cannery and make a decent liv-

ing. Winn grew up on the farm and loved farming.

five years ago. farmhouse I remembered, the big red brick home Even when he was not living there he cultivated his

Shopping Saturday mornings at the Freshfarm sprawling atop a rolling hill. Planted fields with rows own garden. He thought he knew what it took to

Market has become a ritual I look forward to every of produce and orchards surrounded the house. Fredi be a farmer. So when his parents wanted to retire to

week. I love the taste of freshly picked produce and and Winn have put all but 20 acres of the 220-acre North Carolina, Winn and Fredi took over Quaker

the fragrance of newly cut flowers. I also feel great farm under the Farmland Preservation Trust ensur- Valley Orchards and its operations.

buying fruits, vegetables, breads and dairy products ing that the surrounding vistas remain intact. Fredi and Winn had been married for about

from the farmers who actually grow the products or Her huge black Newfoundland dog Ebony, who two years and had started their family. Fredi, who

bake using locally grown materials. is the caretaker of the farm, greeted me. Several of graduated from Penn State, was working as a physi-

Over the past five years I gravitated to one par- her beautiful auburn chickens, which roam freely cal therapy assistant and Winn at a company that

ticular farmer – Fredi Shulteis. My addiction to around the grounds, expressed curiosity at the new manufactured crop sprayers. Winn’s parents gave

apples naturally pulled me to her stand which is arrival. When I walked inside, several dozen small them a month to take over the farm. “We put a “For

overflowing with a multitude of varieties. and large apple and cherry pies sat on her kitchen Sale” sign up in front of our house in the morning

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed her popcorn, peach- counters cooling (Fredi’s kitchen is certified for and sold it by the afternoon,” she said. The transition

es, homemade dog treats for my pooch Marcello, commercial baking).The aroma was intoxicating. from employees to farm owners seemed to be going

strawberry jam, berries, asparagus, watermelon and The first order of business was a tour of the house smoothly; then reality set in. “We were selling 70,000

scrumptious pies. I also shared with Fredi each Sat- and some warm apple pie with ice cream. bushels of our apples to a processing plant, but it just

urday the progress of her third pregnancy and birth Fredi and her husband Winn own Quaker Val- wasn’t paying the bills,” said Fredi. “We were trying

of her son JC, now 19 months old. I felt as if I knew ley Orchards and Guest House, located in the heart to figure out how to keep our farm afloat.”

her, yet I really had no idea, as a woman who was of the Adams County fruit belt. The farm has been One of Winn’s friends, most of whom are farm-

born and raised outside of Manhattan, what it meant in the Schulteis family for over 40 years. ers, told them about the possibility of selling directly

to live and work on a farm. So, I took an overnight James and Mae Schulteis purchased the to the public. In 2003, they changed the focus of

trip to Fredi’s farm to find out. farm in 1963. They grew mainly fruit, specializing their business and began selling at a farmer’s mar-

When I turned into the drive of the Shulteis’ in peaches and about 30 varieties of apples. In those ket in Mt. Pleasant. “It’s a lot of work, but we love



The fields of Quaker Valley Orchards Winn, Fredi and JC Schulteis on

the porch of their house with H

Street Farmer’s Market organizer

Bernie Prince.









124 ★ HillRag | July 2008

Fredi makes dozens of fresh fruit pies

in her commercial grade kitchen.





farming,” said Fredi. farm until 9pm. Then it’s back to the fields on

Winn came into the house as we were Thursday and Friday. On weekends it’s into

finishing up our pie to give a tour of the the city for the markets.

farm so I could see where and how the food After a dinner of pasta with Fredi’s home

I’d been eating for the past five years was made tomato sauce (which she sells at the

grown. Apple trees with little nubs of fruit on market) we congregated with friends at the

them were everywhere. I saw how asparagus pond where Ebony took one of her evening

was grown, and sampled the asparagus and swims to cool off. We then collected eggs

strawberries, which were both surprisingly from the hen house. The hens were friendly

sweet. There were peach trees, rows of prickly and allowed me to pet them. We fed them

black raspberry bushes, blackberries, blueber- and the rabbits (her daughters Samantha and

ries, cherry trees, corn and potatoes. Fredi Bethany’s pets). I had the whole newly reno-

pointed out down the hill at the other side vated three-bedroom guesthouse to myself.

of the pond a patch where she said my wa- Winn and Fredi assured me that even though

termelons were growing. Many of the fruits they don’t have cable TV, they did get the

and vegetables would not be ready until later network channels. I didn’t care. I fell asleep as

in the summer. In the distance up the side soon as my head hit the pillow.

of a hill of the farm we watched a family of The next morning Fredi awakened me at

deer playing among the trees. Winn said he 5am. On market days (Saturdays and Sun-

plays the radio to keep them out of the pro- days) their wake up call is 4:30 a.m. The per-

duce. I declined an offer to visit up close the ishables have to be loaded, then it’s a two-

bee box from which the Shulteis’ harvest the hour drive into the city. Winn took off for

honeycomb and the liquid honey they sell at the Silver Spring Freshfarm market, and we Keep Your Teeth Healthy for Life

the market. headed with JC to the Mt. Pleasant market

Winn explained to me how, instead of where we unloaded the truck and helped her NEW PATIENT OFFER $79

spraying pesticides over the crops to keep assistant set up, then drove to H Street.

them insect free, he hangs a small tab of Summer is the busiest time at the farm. • A complete Exam, including necessary X-Rays

chemical on a tree limb that causes a dis- Winn told me he loves boating and has a 25- • A Personal Consultation

ruption in insects’ ability to mate. While the footer but hasn’t used it in two years. “I just

• A Professional Cleaning*

farm is not “organic” the fruits have little, if haven’t had time.” *unless gum disease is present

any, pesticides on them. During the drive into the city I asked

Friday afternoons are a busy time at the Fredi if she had any regrets about giving

farm. We bunched asparagus that the men up her professional career to farm. “If I was

(they have four full time employees) picked working full time we wouldn’t have had JC,”

that morning. After picking up her girls from she said. “I get to have lunch with Winn ev-

school and sending them off on a sleep-over eryday and pick up my girls from school. We

with their aunt, we loaded two trucks, not both work hard, but we have a good life.”

only with produce, but also with tents, signs,

boxes, accounting supplies, bags, jars of jam, Quaker Valley Orchards are at Mt Pleasant

apple butter and applesauce (which Fredi Farmer’s Market at Lamont Plaza, the H Street

makes herself ), and gallons and half gallons NE and Silver Spring Freshfarm Markets on

of apple cider. Saturdays from 9a.m.-Noon. They are at the

I asked what their typical work week was Rose Park and Foggy Bottom Markets in NW

like. “We usually wake up between 6 and D.C. on Wednesdays from 3p.m.-7p.m. Farm Call now for an appointment

6:30am. Monday we planted melons,” said market WIC vouchers accepted at all markets. For

Khoi Q. Tran, D.M.D.

Winn. “I also mowed the grass. On Tuesday I

tended to the fields.” Wednesdays they leave

more information on Quaker Valley Orchards or

to reserve the guesthouse log onto: www.quaker-

700 7th St. SW

Washington, DC 20024

(202) 554-4000

for market at 11:30am and don’t return to the valleyorchards.com. or call: 717-677-7351. ★

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