|
 When one door closes, another one opens. In 1948, world-famous York Safe and Lock Company closed its doors. For my parents Earl and Margaret Brown, it opened the doors to a 35-acre fruit and poultry farm in rural Loganville. It was certainly a big change from the city life our family was accustomed to. Our parents worked hard and learned to grow fruit with the advice of orchard sales reps and Penn State Extension Service agents, and we soon called the orchards home.
I came to cherish the rolling land and the challenges of growing quality fruit, and decided to work with my parents. My brother, Roger, became a dentist and the youngest, Richard, chose the banking profession. In 1954, I was blessed to marry my wife Nona, an elementary teacher. After college and serving in the U.S. Army, we both became active in the business. Tracts of land were added and Brown’s Orchards was incorporated in 1972.  While raising fruit, Nona and I also raised three wonderful children. Again, the oldest, Scott, chose the family business in 1976. After many years of dedication to, and love of the land, sadly Scott lost his battle with an aggressive brain tumor in 2005. Scott is sorely missed here, although his hard work will be seen for many years to come with a series of beautiful plantings and many facility improvements he had completed over the past few years. Our daughter, Linda, began selling her baked goods at the roadside stand while she was a teenager. Her famous cherry pudding—which is still made today—formed the start of our successful bakery. Linda is now a Nutritionist for the Ohio State Cooperative Extension where she resides with her family. Our youngest son, David, introduced technology into the business, and after a career in computers took him to St. Louis and Chicago, David returned home to take the business into the future! We are extremely proud of all three of them.
 In 1984, Nona and I began a holiday gift basket business in our home. Nona’s homemade apple dumplings were made in our kitchen during the winter of 1986. As the demand for her dumplings and Linda’s cherry puddings grew, so did our dream of a new farm market. In 1986, a 2,500 square foot market was built on the nearby crest of the hill. A few years later, Scott's wife, Brenda, left her banking career to lend her skills to the growing business. Earl and Margaret lived to see the new market's success. Regrettably, the old roadside stand landmark was lost in an electrical fire in 1986.
 For 15 years, our dream market grew by leaps and bounds until overcrowding of sales and workspace necessitated an extensive remodeling and expansion project. Our expanded market was completed in 2000 and although it is triple the size of the original store, it still has that same friendly country atmosphere. A deli, candy island, floral department, retail greenhouse and a pavilion with ice cream stand have been added. And in 2007, we added "The Brown Bean Cafe" coffee bar and a front patio where you can relax while you shop, or take a refreshing stop to enjoy lunch or a coffee during your business day.
2009 was a year of huge change. We incorporated Logan’s View Wine Shop into our front porch area. And we opened a second location in Northern York County. Brown’s “North” in Emigsville, PA was our venture into the garden center business with an expansive greenhouse, as well as a “mini-Brown’s” store with a coffee bar and deli. Unfortunatley the economy took a turn for the worse at the same time. The down-turn in the housing market and landscaping business dramatically affected our tree & shrub business and we were forced to make the decision to the close our North store in 2012.  Nona and I are now only part of the team. I continue to serve as general manager. Nona’s creative touch is evident throughout the store. David is now Vice President. And many quality hard workers take pride in operating our 200-acre fruit and vegetable operation which is the very "core" of the farm market. Our “extended family” of approximately 230 other full and part-time employees rounds out the Brown's team. These fine individuals are responsible for the quality products, friendly service and welcoming atmosphere Brown’s has become known for.
The Brown family takes great pride in producing and marketing our healthful products. We look forward to many more years of growing and serving the community in a well rooted, "quality" style. Our mission is to grow and market the finest quality fruits and other products, to serve our market customers with excellence and integrity, and to ensure the welfare of our employees. We are dedicated to community service, education concerning agriculture, stewardship of our land and maintaining our unique country ambience as a pleasure for all.
|