The Farm in My Neighborhood

Yes, I live in the well-populated area of Brandywine Hundred outside of the City of Wilmington, Delaware. But it is an area which honors its history. Highland Farms, an organic market, is just down the road from me and across the street from Brandywine High School.

How did the Webster family farm manage to survive amid suburbia? The story is that Clark Webster purchased the land in 1832, and as was common at the time, the deed was written on deerskin.  At that time it was mostly rocky pasture.  In 1835, Clark's son, Isaac, began clearing the land and planting crops. John Webster gave the farm the name Highland Orchards, officially, when he was registering his Guernsey milking herd in 1940. His daughter, Ruth Linton, and her family still own and manage the farm and market store. They grow almost everything they sell. Since I only took a small backpack for my journey today, I bought a dozen brown eggs, beautiful leaf lettuce, and grape tomatoes. They do have those row covers for these early season crops. 

I am looking forward to having a nice salad for dinner, and an egg for breakfast tomorrow. When I do, I will think of the clucking chickens outside the shop!