BOALSBURG — Long before “farm to table” became a popular phrase, families in Centre County were already living it.
They picked fresh raspberries under the summer sun, cut their own Christmas trees in winter and carried baskets of asparagus, apples and other seasonal produce home to share around the dinner table.
At Tait Farm, that connection between the land and the community has been growing for generations.
Purchased in 1950 by Penn State graduates Marion and Elton Tait, the property began as a hobby farm where they raised their three children and a handful of 4-H animals. What started as a family endeavor gradually evolved into one of Centre County’s best-known agricultural destinations.
“It wasn’t until the late ’70s that John and David decided to come back to the farm and sort of quit their day jobs and begin to make a more serious endeavor of trying to make a living off the farm,” said Kim Tait, owner of Tait Farm Foods’ shop, greenhouse and food business.
The brothers expanded the farm’s offerings by planting Christmas trees, an apple orchard, raspberries and asparagus while also raising basset hounds. Visitors came to pick their own produce or select a Christmas tree, creating the kind of hands-on experience that would later help define the farm-to-table movement.
The farm’s biggest innovation came from necessity.
During a particularly rainy raspberry season in 1986, pick-your-own customers stayed home, leaving acres of fruit at risk of spoiling. Rather than let the crop go to waste, the family hired workers to harvest the berries and froze them, hoping to find a market later.
Instead, they found inspiration.
A family friend introduced David Tait to an old recipe for raspberry shrub, a fruit concentrate made by infusing fresh fruit in vinegar before blending it with organic cane sugar.
“We’ve been making it almost 40 years now,” Kim Tait said. “It’s refreshing, it’s interesting and it’s family friendly.”
Today, the shrub remains one of Tait Farm’s signature products with seasonal flavors including strawberry basil, strawberry rhubarb, lime mint and spiced apple. Most customers mix it with sparkling water to create a refreshing summer drink, though it also became popular with cocktail makers.
The product reflects the farm’s philosophy of making the most of locally grown ingredients while creating something unique.
For Kim Tait, farm to table is about much more than a single product.
“I think farm to table at its soul is a celebration of local fresh, usually better tasting, food,” she said. “It keeps more money flowing in our community. It supports farmers and in a way of life that is not easy.”
That commitment extends beyond Tait Farm’s own fields.
The farm shop features products from roughly 40 other local producers, including cheeses, breads, meats, baked goods, produce and artisan creations. Tait Farm serves as a showcase for the region’s agricultural community.
“We support a lot of other local growers,” Tait said. “It’s really an important part of what we do. To be a local conduit for other people.”
She believes buying locally allows consumers to enjoy produce at its peak while reducing transportation and supporting the local economy.
“You don’t have to send a tomato from California that’s probably been picked two weeks prior,” she said. “You can pick them that morning. There’s a difference. You taste it.”
The work isn’t without challenges. Late spring freezes, extreme heat and changing weather patterns continue to test farmers throughout Pennsylvania.
“This has been a hard year,” Tait said, recalling the freeze that damaged fruit crops across the region. “Our highs are a little higher and our lows are a little lower climatically.”
Even so, she remains optimistic about the future of local agriculture and the community that continues to support it.
If someone has never visited Tait Farm, Tait hopes they discover more than fresh produce.
“We’re a local destination,” she said. “We have our own line of food products and produce but we also support other local producers. It’s kind of a local lifestyle.”
That lifestyle has become part of Centre County’s identity. One built on local pride, seasonal food and neighbors supporting neighbors.
“I think people don’t want to see everything turned to big boxes,” Tait said. “They want to keep the unique nature of our special place in the world.”
“Local food is a celebration of place,” Kim Tait said.
Visitors to Tait Farm can sample products every Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., with complimentary tastings throughout the day. The farm will also have a presence at this year’s People’s Choice Festival where visitors can sample its signature shrub and other products.
