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Shady Brook Farm was founded by T. Herman Fleming in 1913 in Andalusia,
PA (on the land that now houses the Woodhaven Mall) as a farm that grew
crops for wholesale to markets in the Philadelphia area. Shady Brook's
main crops were radishes, celery, spinach, and beets.
After Herman's death in 1946, the farm was taken over by
his eldest son, Edward (Bud) Fleming. Bud's wife's (Marion) salary
as a teacher and principal helped keep the farm in operation through some
lean years. Bud and Marion's two sons, Ed and Dave, worked part
time on the farm until they graduated from college and began working full
time. In 1960, the Flemings purchased 90 acres in Shady Brook Farm's
present location in Lower Makefield, PA. The farm operated in both
Yardley and Andalusia until 1969. The main crops grown were radishes,
parsley, spinach and other greens, turnips, and parsnips packaged under
the BudMar label, and sold to wholesalers in Philadelphia, Vineland, NJ,
and Washington, DC.
In 1968, the Flemings purchased the neighboring Heston Farm in Middletown twp., PA, bringing the total acreage to 180. In 1982, another adjoining farm of 98 acres was purchased.
In June 1984, Shady Brook Farm opened its first retail market with pick-your-own strawberries. The following year the market was open through September selling corn, tomatoes, and other summer favorites. In 1992, Shady Brook presented its first "agritainment" attraction--The Hayride of Horror. Over the next decade the haunted attractions grew and other seasonal events were added--the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the aMAIZEing Corn Maze, and the Holiday Light Show.
Today, Shady Brook Farm is being run by the fourth generation of Flemings. The Fleming family is proud of its heritage and is committed to preserving farming as a way of life through education, entertainment, and its retail market.
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