Dear Friends & Family,

Many of you know that Riley's Farm is not just one place--but many.

My brother Scott runs the agriculture and u-pick operations here.  His wife, Benita, runs the general store.  My nephew Devon runs the packing shed dinner dances.   My sister's boys,  Jesse and Ryan Cross, have begun gold-panning and cider pressing tours.  My wife and I run the Revolutionary and Civil War school field trips.  To make it even more confusing, my older brother, Dennis owns his own farm, next door, called "Riley's Log Cabin Farm & Orchard."  

We learned early on in our farm experience that it was better to allow family members to conduct their own business.    We know that makes it a bit more bewildering for all of you, but we hope that the variety of services we offer is richer, and more personal, than it might be if we were all employees of one corporation.   

This year, Devon Riley has decided not to sign a new lease on the packing shed facility.      Although he and his family will remain in residence here on the farm, they have chosen not to conduct a business.    We know this is a disappointment to many of you.    On our part, we made several attempts over the last year to draft an agreement that would be beneficial to both Devon and his grandparents.    We talked extensively.   We appealed to mutual friends and counselors.    We presented several different  drafts to Devon, but in the end, he did not believe he could sign any of them, and while we regret the outcome, we respect his decision.   

The Riley family, nevertheless, is resolved to keep offering to our guests what we have always offered--school tours, banquets, hoe-downs, weddings, not to mention apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, pumpkins, and lots of history.    We appreciate your love for this place and for our family, and we take our stewardship of the land very seriously.   We are here for keeps.

To clarify, in closing:  Riley's Farm will continue to offer fruit-picking tours, general store merchandise, Revolutionary War and Civil War field trips.    We are also resolved to continue offering farm-life fieldtrips, hayrides, dinner dances, and wedding facilities.    Dennis Riley, Devon's father, has agreed to continue providing live music and square dance calling in the packing shed.   Since Dennis is developing a Western-style living-history community in the Big Sandy area of Arizona, he will not always be available in person, but he has expressed his commitment  to maintaining the quality of the music he established in the packing shed by hiring quality musicians and callers.    

Please keep us in your thoughts and in your prayers.   We welcome your comments on the current situation, and we are even looking for new staff to help us maintain and expand the farm's scope and mission.     If you've ever considered a career in this field (where a "field" really is a "field"), now's the time to contact us.   The money's not great, but the air is clear and the scenery is fantastic!

  Your Humble Servant,

James Riley

Happy New Year from the Riley Family!