Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm in Pennsylvania: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm in York County, Pennsylvania, combines about 2,000 acres of row crops with 52 acres of fruit, pumpkins, tomatoes and flowers. It won the 2022 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award, presented by Sand County Foundation, for a conservation program that began with no-till in the 1980s. It is a three-generation family business with a farm market on the same land.
| Location | Hellam, York County, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Family history | Farm bought by Jacob and Minnie Flinchbaugh in 1951; first fruit trees planted soon after |
| Sectors | Grain and hay; apples and peaches; pumpkins, tomatoes, flowers; farm market |
| Scale | About 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and milo plus 52 acres of specialty crops, per the award announcement |
| Why it is elite | 2022 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award ($10,000 and a crystal award) |
| Ownership | Three generations involved; siblings Mike and Andrew Flinchbaugh and Julie Keene continue practices started by their parents |
| Official website | Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm website (domain shown in event listings) |
History of Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm
The farm's roots go back to 1951, when Jacob and Minnie Flinchbaugh bought the property, and fruit trees were planted shortly afterward. Their grandson Ritchie and his wife Sonia built the business into the combined grain, orchard and market operation described in the 2022 award announcement. Mike and Andrew Flinchbaugh and Julie Keene now carry on those practices after their parents' recent retirement.
The farm also leases cropland at the county-owned Horn Farm, which hosts the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education, and it has a long partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. That mix of owned land, leased ground and public-sector partners is typical of how larger Pennsylvania farms expand.
What Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Grows and Raises
The row-crop side covers about 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and milo. The farm adopted no-till in the 1980s, plants cover crops every fall, keeps grass buffers along creeks and uses GPS-guided precision application of fertilizer, seed and pesticide. The specialty side covers 52 acres of fruit, pumpkins, tomatoes and flowers.
In the orchard, the farm uses high-density apple production, drip irrigation for apples and peaches, and Integrated Pest Management. It rotates orchard blocks every 15 to 25 years and plants grass between rows. Pick-your-own apples, a wagon ride to the orchard and a farm market bring retail customers to the site.
How Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Makes Money
Grain, hay and milo
Row crops on about 2,000 acres give the farm a base of commodity sales that does not depend on weather in a single fruit crop. Pennsylvania's grains and oilseeds category was the largest crop category in the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
Fruit and specialty crops
Apples, peaches, pumpkins, tomatoes and flowers are sold through the farm market and pick-your-own season. Fruit and vegetables bring higher value per acre than grain but need labor and marketing.
Market, pavilion and events
The farm runs a retail market, a picnic pavilion and seasonal events, according to the award announcement. These turn the orchard into a destination and give the family direct contact with customers.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm
The first lesson is balance: broad acres of grain protect cash flow while a small, intensive fruit block builds the brand. The second is that conservation practices adopted decades ago, such as no-till and cover crops, are now part of the business story and helped win a state award.
The third lesson is to use public partners. Long-term work with NRCS and a lease on county land stretched the farm's reach without buying every acre.
Not every orchard can say its apples are grown by a family that also manages two thousand acres of corn, soybeans and milo, yet Flinchbaugh's pulls it off in York County. At farm.FM we think farm satire writes itself when a wagon carries pick-your-own customers to the trees. Our farm humor staff has filed one ranch humor note about milo and one about peach season, and both farm jokes were judged too tender to print.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
How to Contact Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm
Website: https://flinchbaughsorchard.com/
Address, phone and email were not confirmed on the operation's own site for this page. Pick-your-own, wagon rides and market hours change with the season, so check the farm's site before traveling.
Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Leopold award announcement - Details of the 2022 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award
- Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm - The operation's website
- Pick-your-own apples and wagon ride - Event listing with visit details
- USDA NASS Pennsylvania 2022 Census profile - State farm counts, crop acres and sales
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal conservation and farm programs, including NRCS support
Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm FAQ
Where is Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm?
In Hellam, York County, Pennsylvania.
What award did it win?
The 2022 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award from Sand County Foundation.
How large is the farm?
The award announcement cites about 2,000 acres of row crops and 52 acres of specialty crops.
How can I visit?
Check the farm's website for market and pick-your-own hours before traveling.
Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm shows how grain, fruit and conservation can fit on one York County operation. For the climate, programs and markets behind it, read our Pennsylvania farms guide and the other profiled operations.