Shortly after we left the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, we saw some signs at the side of the road indicating that there was farm fresh produce for sale. We decided to turn around and follow the signs pointing to the place. We ended up at Thornbury Farm CSA, and are very happy we did!
The store is painted red and looks like a barn; it is decorated with various signs and a patriotic red, white, and blue bunting. Around the building are different displays. One is an old truck decorated and labeled as Tow Mater, surrounded by dried corn stalks, decorative cabbage plants and huge pumpkins. Near that is a red tractor sporting an American flag, with flowers and various types of colorful, large winter squashes in front of it. We saw a few chickens happily walking around.
We were greeted by a very nice woman when we entered the store. We then wandered around, enjoying the view. In addition to the variety of fruits and vegetables that we knew we would see in there, they had many other products for sale. We saw coffee, tea, honey, candy, jams, jellies, decorations, Indian corn, books, chutney, jars and bottles, harvest decorations, wines, interesting gourds, birdhouses, dairy products, and breads. One area has items canned by the Amish. I found a honeycomb for sale, which I immediately decided to buy.
The woman who worked there was very informative. She not only answered our questions, but gave us a mini tour and some history of the place. She might have given us more of a tour, but it started to rain. We still were shown around outside, close to the building, and none of us minded getting a bit wet. She showed us the water drip irrigation system that they use, and explained to us about how it works. We saw some of the gardens where they grow the produce that they sell. There is a beautiful patio area that they rent out, complete with an oven, cooler, and prep area. We found out that the place has been around since 1709 – more than 300 years! We were told that many other people also stopped there after the Mushroom Festival.
The items are fresh, organic, and local. We bought a watermelon that has orange flesh, and it is very tasty! We also bought some large tomatoes, the previously mentioned honeycomb, chocolate milk, some honey candy, and honey sticks.
While reading more about Thornbury Farm CSA, I found out they also have classes and information sessions. Also, they are working on restoring a pipe organ, which I found very intriguing.
We recommend visiting them if you’re ever in the area of West Chester, Pennsylvania!
