The legacy of Hedgeapple Farm dates to 1731 when the property was granted to the Meredith Davis Sr. family. Since 1956, the Jorgensen family has operated a dairy farm and a beef farm on the property, beautifully situated along the Monocacy River. In 1997, the Jorgensens gifted a conservation easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust in perpetuity to ensure against development. The Jorgensen Family Foundation, Inc. was also created in 1997 as a beef research and educational foundation. The farmland, cattle, equipment, and facilities were then gifted to the foundation.

Today, Hedgeapple Farm is operated for the benefit of beef producers in Maryland and the surrounding region. Hedgeapple Farm focuses on the development and feasibility of production and marketing strategies to help make the region’s smaller beef operations more viable. Outreach programs and tours are conducted several times throughout the year to educate not only beef producers, but also members of the general public who are interested in farm life and the operation itself.

The operations of Hedgeapple Farm are carefully planned, with future generations in mind, by the Jorgensen Family Foundation board of directors.   The board of directors is made up of members of the Jorgensen family along with beef production specialists and experienced businessmen to maintain the original purpose of the foundation in a progressive manner. The day-to-day operations are handled by a full time farm manager and limited additional farm labor.

The farm has grown to over 310 acres and is located just north of the historic village of Buckeystown, MD. All the acreage is in permanent grassland and is utilized as pasture and hay for the farm’s herd of Black Angus cattle. All the calves born on the farm are retained for pasture-finishing and are direct marketed through our on-farm retail market.

The farm’s one mile of frontage along the Monocacy River makes stewardship of the soil and water resources especially important. We work closely with the Frederick Soil Conservation District, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the United States Department of Agriculture in implementing best management practices for improving the water quality of the Monocacy and Potomac Rivers, along with the Chesapeake Bay.