Narcissa Rd, Pennsylvania, USA
Gary McKeown, who grew up in the historic home and now runs the farm’s daily operations, has helped expand the property from its original 12 acres to its current 30 acres.
“Farming is my life,” McKeown stated in an official profile published on the farm’s digital portal, Maple Acres Farm Market. The farm began as a small agricultural operation during the First World War era. Over the years, it grew in size and became an important part of the local community. The property was named Maple Acres by Millie McKeown, whose descendants still live in and maintain the original 18th-century farmhouse on the property. Keeping a working farm alive in the middle of a densely developed suburban township required the family to change its business model over time. Instead of depending only on wholesale produce, Maple Acres expanded into a community market and pick-your-own destination. The farm grows a variety of seasonal crops, including corn, pumpkins and strawberries, along with large flower fields. Visitors come to the Narcissa Road property during the spring, summer and autumn to pick sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, cockscomb, Gomphrena and cosmos. By combining direct sales with custom floral design and seasonal family events, the McKeown family was able to keep the land profitable without selling it to commercial property buyers.
In a historical report on agricultural preservation in the region, local publication Montco Today highlighted how the farm remained financially viable despite rising land prices in Montgomery County.