River View Orchards in New Brunswick: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
River View Orchards is an apple orchard at Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick, run by first-generation farmers Andrew and Jennifer Lovell. The couple were named Outstanding Young Farmers for the Atlantic Region and went on to compete for the national award against seven other farmers under 40.
| Location | Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick |
|---|---|
| Founded | Bought by the Lovells in 2012 |
| Sectors | Apples |
| Scale | About 10 hectares, with 10 more acres of apple trees planned at the time of the award |
| Why it is elite | Atlantic Region Outstanding Young Farmers; national finalist |
| Ownership | Andrew and Jennifer Lovell, first-generation farmers |
| Official website | CBC News: River View Orchards award coverage |
History of River View Orchards
Andrew Lovell, who was 38 at the time of the award coverage, is a first-generation farmer who had loved farming since he was five. He runs River View Orchards with his wife, Jennifer, and their young son is also involved. A later CBC report says the Lovells bought the orchard in 2012.
The couple was named Outstanding Young Farmers for the Atlantic Region and was then up for the national award against seven other farmers under 40. At that point Lovell planned to plant 10 new acres of apple trees the following year.
What River View Orchards Grows and Raises
The orchard covers about 10 hectares, according to CBC reporting, at Keswick Ridge near Fredericton in the Keswick Valley. The Lovells are expanding with new plantings, which reflects confidence in a sector that has been shrinking locally.
CBC reports that more than 200 hectares were in apple trees at Keswick Ridge in the 1970s, compared with fewer than 40 now. The Keswick Ridge Apple Co-op once sold apples to supermarkets and warehouses across the province. Neighbouring grower David Coburn cites climate change, farming costs, real estate pressure and a lack of cold storage in newer homes. Andrew Lovell sees export markets as key to growth.
How River View Orchards Makes Money
Apple sales
Apples are the orchard's product. Public coverage does not give volumes, varieties or prices, so none are stated here.
Export markets
Lovell told CBC that exports are key to growth. Selling beyond the local market can lift volume in a region where local demand and packing infrastructure have shrunk.
Succession value
Lovell says his son and daughter want to take over. A family transition plan protects the value of an orchard, where trees take years to mature.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from River View Orchards
Orchards reward long-term planning. Planting 10 more acres before the national award shows that tree fruit investment is made years ahead of the payoff.
Markets and storage matter as much as trees. The decline of the local co-op shows why growers need cold storage, a packer and sales channels beyond the farm gate.
Apple growers play a long game: plant a tree now and enjoy the crunch in a few seasons. At farm.FM we gather farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and a Keswick Ridge orchard run by first-generation farmers is perfect for gentle jokes about grafting, pruning and trees that never take a day off. We aim only to leave the Lovells with a good-natured grin and a bushel of apple puns.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact River View Orchards
Website: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/apple-farmer-outstanding-farmer-award-1.3488982
No River View Orchards website was found in search results; the CBC article cites a Facebook page. This page links to a public news article. Confirm retail details directly before visiting.
River View Orchards Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- CBC News: Atlantic Outstanding Young Farmers - Award coverage of Andrew and Jennifer Lovell
- CBC News: Keswick Ridge apple orchards - Context on the shrinking Keswick Ridge apple industry
- Agriculture New Brunswick: farming crops - Provincial crop information
- Statistics Canada: New Brunswick in the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Province farm numbers and revenues
- Review of Agriculture 2022 - Provincial farm cash receipts
River View Orchards FAQ
Where is River View Orchards?
Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick.
Who owns it?
Andrew and Jennifer Lovell, first-generation farmers.
What award did they win?
Outstanding Young Farmers for the Atlantic Region, qualifying for the national award.
How big is the orchard?
CBC reports about 10 hectares, with new plantings planned.
River View Orchards shows how first-generation farmers can build an orchard in a changing market. See the New Brunswick farms guide for provincial context and the other profiled operations.