The story of how the farm grew. 

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Jeter Mountain Farm is a u-pick apple orchard located on nearly 400 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Family-owned and operated, farmers Mike, Jared and Tyler Hunsader work year round, along with their spouses, to nurture the fruits, experiences and dreams that the farm is home to.

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A lineage of farming extends back in the Hunsader family for 5 generations. A respect for agriculture, creativity, and a standard of excellence has passed down through the generations, and followed them all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where this generation of the Hunsader family has had the opportunity to plant its roots and nurture their dream of Jeter Mountain Farm.

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In 2005, the Hunsader family acquired over 400 acres in beautiful Western North Carolina, now known as Jeter Mountain Farm. Before this time, the barns and property were being utilized as an equestrian farm. Though the farm and pastureland had never held fruit trees before, the dream of an orchard took hold in their hearts and the family began to carve out the path of bringing their dream to a reality.

 

The first facility transformation took place in 2011, when the indoor riding arena was transformed into the 6,000 square foot wedding and event center, and Jeter Mountain Farm began hosting local events in 2012. 

 

The first apple tree was planted at the farm in winter of 2014 by Mike and his sons. 

 

Brothers Tyler and Jared began growing commercial tomatoes at the farm in 2015 to bridge the gap and make ends meet until the u-pick orchard matured. Tomatoes were grown commercially on the farm for the next 5 years.

 

In the years that followed, Mike and his sons patiently tended to the growing orchards, bearing more than 20 varieties of apples as well as peaches, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, elderberries, pumpkins and more. Renovations also continued to reimagine and reshape the barns and facilities which once homed horses, converting horse stalls into a hard cider taproom, a ring for breaking horses into a bathroom building, and an outdoor riding ring into a parking lot. 

 

In 2020, Jeter Mountain Farm opened for its first u-pick apple season. Having the opportunity to invite the community to enjoy the beautiful farm and the fruits of their labor proved even more rewarding than they had imagined after a lifetime of farming commercially. Being able to interact with visitors, share a passion of agriculture, and witness families building memories together felt like a dream come true.

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Each subsequent season has introduced even more for families to enjoy, including the hard cider taproom, The Orchard Coffee House, a large market, an indoor play area and the 1813 BBQ Food truck.

 

And as the dream has grown, so has the family, as each new son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchild has added to both the effort and scope of the dream. 

 

Jeter Mountain Farm is a completely family-owned and operated initiative, and the value of family and a commitment to glorifying God remains the cornerstone and inspiration for all that they do. While a love for farming is woven throughout the generations, a love of family is what inspires the Hunsaders to find ways to invite the local community to join them in enjoying all that the farm has to offer.