Nearly 100, Hope View Farm stays in step with times

The farm has been producing 150 acres of hay and vegetables, about 12 acres of mixed vegetables and pumpkins and 25 acres of sweet corn. And the next generation is on the scene.

By Janet Purcell
   Hope View Farm off Washington Avenue in Hopewell Borough — owned and operated now by Joseph Ruggieri III — has been in the family for nearly 100 years. Despite its age, the farm is still going strong and growing and branching out in new directions.
   Mr. Ruggieri’s grandfather, also Joseph Ruggieri, came to the United States as an immigrant. Mr. Ruggieri III puts it simply: "He saved money, came here and found a farm."
   The first Mr. Ruggieri raised vegetables and sold tomatoes to Campbell’s Soup Co. The next Mr. Ruggieri (father of Mr. Ruggieri III) raised vegetables and took them to markets in New York. He then went into dairy farming, followed by raising grain. "That not being profitable, he decided to go into vegetables," said today’s Mr. Ruggieri. "He went back to what my grandfather started."
   Now the farm has been producing 150 acres of hay and vegetables, about 12 acres of mixed vegetables and pumpkins and 25 acres of sweet corn. And the next generation is on the scene.
   According to Mr. Ruggieri III, his son, Joseph (Ruggieri IV), who is 8 years old, loves to plant in the greenhouse. "After school the other day he planted 144 New Guinea impatiens," his father said.
   When asked if he is hoping his son will continue the farm when he matures, he responded, "Whatever he wants to be is OK with me. You have to love this and, if you don’t, you shouldn’t do it because of the amount of work involved." Mr. Ruggieri hadn’t even started the season yet, and he said, "I can’t remember the last day I took off. It was a bad winter and we’re late getting stuff started — equipment ready and cleanup."
   There are now three greenhouses on the land in which seedlings are started and hanging baskets are begun. And there is a high tunnel for tomatoes that Mr. Ruggieri explains starts the plants as if they were growing in the field but protects them from frost. That allows them to get the tomatoes to market a little earlier.
   Nine years ago the family opened Hope View Farm Market on East Broad Street in Hopewell. This year begins their fourth at their Trenton Farmers Market stand, which is run by Joseph Ruggieri’s sister, Joanne Vaccarino. And now the farm has begun the process of transitioning some of its acreage to organic farming.
   To be a certified organic grower, one has to transition the land for three years. That means not applying anything not approved by the National Organic Program, a new program under the United States Department of Agriculture. The field set aside for organic farming was a hayfield and products that are not allowed have not been applied for over three years.
   Erica Phillips, who worked as an apprentice for the past two years at Spring Hill Farm in Hopewell, has come to Hope View Farm to plant and manage 7 acres that are being transitioned for diversified vegetables, flowers, vegetables and herbs.
   "It’s pretty unusual in the organic world to have an apprentice go ahead and farm, but here I am in a real position," she said recently with a big smile.
   She’d already started three varieties of beets, seven varieties of head lettuce, and four of onions in the greenhouse that is heated by the sun during he day and by a heater a night. Germination mats placed under the seedlings and plastic laid above them help to retain heat and, according to Ms. Phillips, most seedlings need only a very small amount of light.
   The season was just beginning and already she had planted 25 different varieties of flowers and vegetables — which translates into about 12,000 seedlings. "No wonder my arm is so tired," she said with a laugh.
   The next stage is transplanting some of the flowers and herbs into six packs for the market and planting others in the field (which was planted last fall with a cover crop of wheat).
   "I’d love to hire an apprentice," Ms. Phillips said. "They get paid very little money, but they get the education component and no agricultural training is needed." When asked to define organic growing she said, "Organic growing is a system of growing crops that is in tune with the environment and natural cycles, trying to respond to them instead of working against them. The most important thing is building up the soil to have organic nature and be balanced. That way the plants are going to be healthier and more resistant to disease and pest problems —-just like a healthy person is better able to fight disease.
   "The general rule," Ms. Phillips explained, "is not using synthetically derived pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides."
   "Some people are interested in organic because of health reasons and studies show that some people have a feeling things synthetic are damaging to health." Ms. Phillips said. "I can say that things do taste better because the soil is healthier. Varieties we grow, like heirloom tomatoes, are most delicious. They have a short shelf life and are not good for shipping, but local food is fresher. Organic or not."
   The Hope View farm stand, located on East Broad Street on the edge of town, will open soon when the first spring crops are ready for harvest. Hours (which vary with the seasons) will begin with 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends. For more information, call 466-8585.