Our Story
We are Joe and Karen Wince, the owners of JK Orchard & Farm, LLC.
The 10 acre farm has been in Karen's family since 1952 and farmed by her great grandfather and grandfather. In addition to the field is an apple orchard that her great grandfather planted in 1953 for the church ladies to have apples to sell and make baked goods to raise money for the church. Due to neglect and old age only 1 of the original apple trees remain on the 2 acre orchard. We have been planting new apple, pears, peach and cherry trees over the past several years to restore the orchard to its former glory. Little did we know our passion to restore the land would eventually turn into a full-blown farming operation.
The idea of JK Orchard & Farm started from a conversation we had one summer night in 2015. We thought how cool it would be to start a Christmas Tree farm and make a whole Christmas experience for people seeing how much we love Christmas. Realizing Christmas Trees take 7 years to mature we thought what could we do with the land during that time.
Our solution..grow strawberries and pumpkins!
So, in the Spring of 2016 we started our adventure of planting 10,000 strawberries and 100 pumpkin plants. The following year, in 2017, we, with the help of Karen's mom, hand-picked every single berry... 10,000 plants' worth and sold them through local farmers markets and farm pick up orders. It was a humbling season of sunrise and sunset picking, sticky hands, sunburns, and sore backs, but it also laid the foundation for what would come next.
Since then, our farm has grown in ways we never could have imagined.
In the fall of 2017, we opened the farm for our 1st Pumpkin Patch festival weekend, something we hosted with joy and intention for our local community. It was never about ticket sales or foot traffic. It was about creating space for people to make memories, breathe in the season, and enjoy time together on the land. The 4 years we held the festival taught us the power of generosity, community connection and presence.
In 2018, we opened the farm to the public for our first U-pick strawberry season, giving others the chance to experience the simple joy of harvesting berries straight from the field.
In 2019, we realized we could not bear the thought of cutting down the Christmas trees we patiently grew and loved for 7 years, so we repurposed the trees we planted as hedge walls. A quiet tribute to plans that changed and grew roots of their own.
By 2021, we expanded the berry field once again, this time adding black, yellow and red raspberries, each chosen to bring variety, color and even more sweetness to the land. The following year, in 2022, we opened the patch to the public for u-pick, giving our community a chance to experience the full spectrum of berry season in their own hands.
Over the years, we added a u-pick tulip patch, a sunflower field and maze, wildflower meadows and a cut flower garden that brought beauty and pollinators to the land. We created one-of-a-kind date nights on the farm, invited families to pick raspberries, strawberries, and pumpkins as well as shared the joy of connecting with the land, each other and the present moment.
As the farm grew, so did our awareness of what it takes to sustain it... physically, emotionally, and energetically. It's just the two of us, and over time, we began to feel called to slow down and live more in alignment with the values we talk so much about.
In 2022, Joe became a certified beekeeper, and what started as a curiosity quickly became a calling. He now serves on the board of the Central Ohio Beekeepers Association and mentors new beekeepers in their Veterans Program. His growing involvement in the Columbus beekeeping community, and the time he now spends there each season, deepened his passion and helped shape the farm's next chapter.
So in 2024, we made the decision to simplify... to honor the pace of the land, our bodies, and our lives.
Today, JK Orchard & Farm is rooted in a slower rhythm. We spend our time on what feels sustainable, joyful and aligned. We center our energy on tending to the berry fields, caring for our honeybee colonies and offering a few intentional experiences, like our popular honey harvesting workshops.
And through it all, writing became an essential part of Karen's path and the farm's story. What began as a quiet outlet grew into a way of connecting, through words that reflect the wisdom and rhythm of nature and as an invitation to slow down and come home to yourself. Whether it's a social post, a gentle email, or one of her books, her words are meant to feel like a warm cup of tea... honest, nourishing and grounded in truth. Not to teach or fix, but to walk alongside you in whatever season you're in.
We still believe in growth, but now we measure it differently. Not in expansion, but in depth. Not in output, but in alignment. Not in perfection, but in presence.
Whether you visit during berry season, pick up a jar of honey, join a workshop, or simply read along from wherever you are, we are honored to have you as part of our Farm'ily.
Thank you for supporting your local farmers and for believing in the beauty of slow, intentional living.
Grown w/Love,
Our Story
