Our History

Jacob and Minnie Flinchbaugh moved the family farm from Lancaster, PA to Hellam, PA in March of 1951. Putting fruit trees in the rich York County soil was the first step in growing the Flinchbaugh's Orchard you now know today. Jake and Minnie never lived on the farm, but held key roles in the operation of it. Their son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Louise, moved onto the farm when their oldest son, Ritchie, was just 3 months old. They worked on the farm raising dairy cattle, field tomatoes and orchard crops for several years. As the Flinchbaugh family grew, so did the operation expanding to include chickens, hogs and field crops.

Today, Flinchbaugh's Orchard encompasses nearly 120 acres of land and is maintained by three generations of Flinchbaugh's, who have a deep pride in their farm, the environment and providing quality products to customers. Ritchie and wife, Sonia, decided to expand their orchard's retail business in 2006 based upon the decision of their three children to return to work in the family business after graduating from Penn State.  A new farm market was built in 2006 which includes nearly 8,000 square feet of sales area and additional operating facilities. Ritchie and Sonia's sons, Michael and Andrew, joined the business in 2007.  Along with their sister, Julie, who is also employed by the family, Mike and Andrew strive to interact with their local community, serving on local boards and committees in preserving farm ground, protecting our rich York county soils, promoting agriculture and educating the consumer. 

Conserving water through the use of drip irrigation and practicing Integrated Pest Management techniques to reduce the levels of pesticides, the orchard utilizes the latest technologies to operate as an environmentally sound and efficient farm. 

The Flinchbaugh Family Sonia, Michael, Katie, Ritchie, Andrew, Katie, Julie