A family legacy of learning and growing
In 1975, Pam and Gary Mount purchased a colonial-style home on 55 acres along Cold Soil Road in Princeton. The couple had recently served in the Peace Corps and wanted to bring their shared experiences and ideology of community, education, and love of land to a new venture—Terhune Orchards. Now, that family home sits at the heart of the farm, with its black shutters and matching roof having weathered the ups and downs of the last 50 years, from climate changes to a pandemic, from raising children to welcoming grandchildren.
While spearheading preservation efforts to protect their farmland, the Mounts have expanded beyond their renowned orchard to include over 60 crops planted across a sprawling 250 acres, with such additions as a winery, farm store, Barn Door Café, pick-your-own events, an educational series, and numerous other offerings. Today, the farm is also home to extended family, with daughters Reuwai Mount Hanewald and Tannwen Mount poised to actively lead the farm into the next generation.
“Every morning during summer when I would wake up, I would look out the windows and see my mom making flower bunches for sale that day,” Reuwai recalls. “She was already at work, but always nearby, and I would go out to say good morning.” Both sisters have fond memories of growing up on the farm. While their 80-year-old parents remain active, Reuwai and Tannwen are now full-time.
Looking through pictures for the 50th celebration, Tannwen reflects, “There’s a picture of Reuwai’s kindergarten class, and I’m on my mom’s back. I realized it represents the first school tour that we ever did.” Today, the farm hosts 100 tours annually, welcoming the community into the farming adventure as much as possible.
“AS WITH EVERYTHING ON THIS FARM, WE STUBBORNLY WANT TO DO IT OURSELVES; WE’RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT, BUT WE ARE SMART ENOUGH TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE.”
All Roads Lead to Home
Yet the sisters insist they felt no pressure or obligation to continue the family business while growing up. They, like their father, both graduated from Princeton University—Reuwai with a degree in environmental science and biology, and Tannwen studying anthropology. “Our parents had the sensibility to tell us to go out and see the world,” Tannwen says.
After college, Gary initially planned to pursue graduate school and felt he needed a career that could make a national or even wider impact. The sudden passing of his father shifted his perspective, and he and Pam set their sights on the Peace Corps. Their subsequent service in Micronesia—where Gary developed crops and freshwater systems, and Pam taught schoolchildren—had a profound impact on the couple.
“We served 400 people,” Gary recounts in his book, A Farmer’s Life: Notes from Terhune Orchards (Sweetgrass Books, 2021). “Our impact didn’t have to be global to be significant. We could make a difference to 400 people, and that would be enough.” They brought that community spirit and growth mind-set to their farm.
Reuwai’s initial post-Princeton life followed a similar trajectory, with her teaching environmental science and biology in Central America and West Africa at international schools with her husband. After returning to the area to start a family, Reuwai taught at The Lawrenceville School. Still, she felt the pull of the family business. “I always figured that I would be helping on the farm,” she says. “As a teacher, there were always opportunities to come back, but I’d come and go.” However, as Terhune Orchards expanded, she realized the farm was a “full-time, full-on business.”
Tannwen also ventured beyond New Jersey after college, having “lots of fun adventures,” on the West Coast. She worked in Advancement at University of California Berkeley but grew tired of the fundraising and development world. “My sister was pregnant with her first baby, and I wanted to be an active auntie”—and so she, too, felt the pull to return home.
Tannwen brought back a new-found appreciation for the Napa Valley, acquired while she was living in the Bay Area. At the time, the Mounts had also acquired new property from their neighbors. “We were able to purchase contiguous farmland, which is pretty rare in New Jersey,” Tannwen explains. It led to conversations about building revenue, and for her, that meant starting a winery and farming wine grapes. “Luckily, my dad is always pretty game about trying a new crop. It involved buying a lot of Italian stainless-steel tanks—and anything that involves fancy, new technology, he’s game for!”
There was a learning curve with winemaking, but they sought the right help. “As with everything on this farm, we stubbornly want to do it ourselves; we’re going to learn how to do it, but we are smart enough to ask the right questions of the right people.” With this philosophy in mind, they intentionally hired two wine consultants with differing ideas to spark broader discussions among the whole crew and arrive at more informed decisions together.
Tannwen adds, “Everything we do is a family effort, but there are dividing lines.” Tannwen handles administrative efforts, like staffing, sales, and events, while Reuwai is the “scientist” of the group. “She’s the back end of how we grow things, testing, and blending. Then, we all put the pieces together.”
All in the Family
Working with family isn’t always easy, but Reuwai says the dynamic has improved over time. “We’re really busy, so she doesn’t have time to micromanage me, and I don’t have time to micro-manage her!” Plus, the two have gained a strong understanding of each other’s roles.
Today, the winery proudly produces 18 different estate wines, bottled and labeled on the farm. The Winery Weekend Music Series draws in both new and returning customers. “People say, ‘I used to come with my kids and feed the animals,’ but now they are coming back maybe without their kids, and they’re enjoying the music,” Tannwen says. “Or they were here as kids and are coming back as adults.”
The sisters aim to keep the farm multigenerational. Beyond the school tours and Pick-Your-Own, Tannwen launched seasonal pre-school programs—Read and Pick in spring and summer, and Read & Explore in winter. They’ve also partnered with Rutgers, New Jersey’s Land Grant University, to allow ongoing research projects on the farm. “There’s always more to learn, and we want to keep growing,” Reuwai says.
Looking ahead, the sisters are grateful that their parents preserved all 250 acres of farmland, ensuring that the farm will be open and available if any of their kids are interested. They are also thankful for their parents’ flexibility. As Reuwai puts it: “I think it’s pretty unusual to have people who have dedicated everything to a business say, ‘This business does not need to look the same in the future as it does today.’”
TERHUNE ORCHARDS
330 Cold Soil Rd., Princeton
609.924.2310
terhuneorchards.com
50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
Terhune Orchards 50th Anniversary Community Celebration
Sat, August 16, 10am–5pm
“Join us for a fun-filled day honoring Terhune Orchards’ 50th anniversary and the customers, staff, and neighbors who have supported us over the years.”
Terhune Orchards 50th Anniversary “Apple Day”
Sat and Sun, September 13 & 14, 10am–5pm
“Join us as we kick off the fall festival season with a special throwback event celebrating the original Terhune Orchards Apple Day!”
