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If you are a FRESHFARM Market farmer or producer but are not listed above, or,
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info@freshfarmmarkets.org.
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LITTLE SCRUB RIDGE FARM
Huntingdon County, PA
Little Scrub Ridge takes its name from the rocky ridge across the road from the farm. Before Lee Armstrong and Ray Messick purchased the farm in 1982, the approximately 45 acres of open farmland was rented and row-cropped in corn, which had led to considerable erosion on the hillsides. Lee and Ray decided to grow Christmas trees as a market crop that would not require annual tillage and further degradation of the land. Christmas trees are a renewable crop. Every year, Lee and Ray select trees to cut, and replant new seedlings. During the 8- to 12-year life of the trees, the soil is undisturbed and receives the benefit of natural mulch from mowing and needle drop. Through the years, Lee and Ray have added tree varieties and now grow seven varieties: scotch and white pine, Douglas, concolor and canaan fir, Norway spruce and small amounts of fraser fir. With a small plantation of mixed varieties, Lee and Ray have been able to avoid using the pesticides and fungicides widely used in large plantations of single varieties. Little Scrub Ridge's production is labor intensive. Lee and Ray rely primarily on mechanical methods of weed-control and shear all trees by hand with a knife. 'These methods make our work environment safer for us, for the many insects, birds and critters that inhabit our trees, and for our customers who put our trees in their homes,' says Lee. Little Scrub Ridge's trees are sold to a mix of small retailers, home-delivery customers, and at farmers markets, including our Dupont Circle and Silver Spring FRESHFARM Markets. Their freshly cut trees are harvested a few days (and in the case of the FRESHFARM Market, one day) before delivery.
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