Terhune Orchards is a trailblazer for agricultural sustainability in New Jersey.  The family run farm has implemented a multitude of sustainable practices to reduce its environmental impact, protect its natural resources and ensure the growth and survival of its family business.  

Despite being the Garden State, farming in New Jersey can be challenging.  New Jersey farmland is among the most expensive in the nation and subject to intense development pressure and competition.  The Mount Family has succeeded in keeping and growing their agriculture operations by taking advantage of the NJ Farmland Preservation Program.  They have preserved over 183 acres across four different farms. 

Beyond acquiring land protections for the family farms, the Mount’s have also adopted sustainable practices as the heart of their agricultural operations.  Currently, 50% of the farm production is USDA certified organic.  They use integrated pest management practices to reduce their use of pesticides and conserve water through an extensive drip irrigation system and utilizing plastic mulch.  Additionally, Terhune’s procures clean energy for some of its buildings; solar panels were installed on the barn roof which generates electricity for three cold storage rooms and in 2016 solar panels were installed on their new Winery. Truthfully, these actions only begin to scratch the surface of Terhune’s sustainable operations; to learn more check out their NJ Sustainable Business Profile: http://registry.njsbdc.com/business-profile/58/126/terhune-orchards