The Orchards of Concklin has put its stamp on the Pomona region. The Pomona region is named after the goddess of fruit in honor of Nicholas Concklin, the founder of the farm.
The Concklins first came to America in 1637 from Nottingham, England. John and Anias Concklin were members of the first Presbyterian Church of Salem, Massachusetts. The family migrated to Rhode Island, then across to Long Island. The Concklins settled in Cutchogue for a while and then moved up to Eastchester in Westchester County.
Nicholas Concklin sailed across the Hudson to Haverstraw and walked inland to the Pomona region in 1711. There he bought 400 acres of the Kakiat patent Lot No. 1.
The family owned and farmed the land continuously through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the first metropolitan pressures of the early 20th century. J. Raymond Concklin took over the farm in 1945. He operated the farm with his wife Ardelle, son Richard and daughter Linda. When he died in 1993, Richard and Linda took over the farm and are still farming it to this day. Linda's son, Scott, and Richard's wife, Ellen, and their children Rachel and Seth, all work on the farm.
The challenges of keeping the family farm running in these days of mega supermarkets and convenience stores are being met through new marketing channels at farmers' markets and niche markets.
