A Family Growing Tradition

If you want to buy fresh corn, peas and tomatoes in Cranford, you probably already know where to go and you may have been going there for years – Dreyer Farms on Springfield Avenue.

What you may not know is that Dreyer Farms is the last functioning farm in Union County.

"It's just by luck that we still have our farm in this county," said Jessica Dreyer, a fourth generation member of the Dreyer Farms family.

Well, if you call "luck" the ability to remain in existence for more than a century, as the farm has, then the land is sure lucky to have the Dreyer family.

 In 1904, brothers Gustav and Henry Dreyer purchased the land around Springfield Avenue. They both emigrated from Germany, according to Jessica's father, John Dreyer. John said before the Great Depression his great uncle sold his parcel of the farm, which was made into a golf course. The golf course went out of business during the Depression and became just a field for hay. In 1949, John's mother established the roadside market for the farm and began to sell wholesale produce in New York and Newark.

"Besides being a good farmer, you have to be a good businessperson. That was my mother," John said.

During the 1950s the land was divided up between members of the family. John said eventually everyone sold their parcels, except for the one John still owns today, known as Dreyer Farms. Meanwhile, Union County College now sits on the land once occupied by the hay field.

Both John, his daughter Jessica and his brother Henry Jr. work full time on the farm whether it be working in the greenhouse, out in the field or selling flowers, plants and produce.

"It says a lot about our family. That we stayed together and cooperated," John said.

"If my father and uncle didn't want to be farmers there could be condos there," Jessica said. She is active in the community in raising awareness about local agriculture, writing articles in local publications and doing speaking engagements.

John acknowledged that being a local farmer is tough financially when you're trying to compete with the big chain grocery stores. So in order to encourage people to buy from their farm, John said they're trying to grow vegetables that you can't get in the grocery stores, like oyster plant, leeks and swiss chard.

"You have to change or you're going to die," John said.

As for how long the farm will remain in existence, John said he hopes it passes on to many more generations of his family, beginning with his daughter, Jessica.

"She also married a farmer, which doesn't hurt either," John said.

The Dreyer Farms market and greenhouse, which is located at 831 Springfield Avenue, is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.