Sperdute Farms History
Al Sperdute and his wife, Dorothy, own Sperdute Farms, a 95-acre vegetable and grain farm on Kildoo Road in North Beaver Township that he started because of his love of growing vegetables.
Al's father started the farm when he came across from the Old Country. He always raised produce and he did it all manually. He was always in the
garden. His mother, Julia, also had a heavy hand in the operation.
When Al graduated from high school, he took over the farm operation. It's been a growing business ever since. His father helped with the
operations until he died in January of 1981. Now Al is assisted by his own two sons, David and Steven, who work full-time on the farm.
Sperdute, one of five brothers, remembers selling produce from a truck with his father on Route 18 in Mahoningtown. The family owned a small tract ofland off Route 18, where they grew vegetables to sell. They sold produce to a few grocery stores, and they also delivered to homes of a few people in
town.
The Sperdute family bought the farm at its current location in 1957 and produced vegetables on a small scale, selling from a cart and a picnic
table. The family also maintained a dairy farm until 1977 when they started raising beef cattle until 1998. In 1994, they built a market on the premises and production and sales multiplied.
The family raises an abundance of sweet corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables including a wide variety of peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, butternut and acorn squash, Indian corn, and gourds. Small grain, including hay, corn, wheat and soybeans, is a large part of their farming operation that has grown to more than 700 acres (owned and leased land). They sell their crops both wholesale and retail.
The Sperdute pumpkin patch spans 25 acres. The family started hosting an Annual Fall Harvest Festival in 2011. The festival runs on the last weekend
(Saturday and Sunday) of September and now includes food and craft vendors. Barbeque - Ice Cream - Kettle Corn - Hayrides - and Pony Rides are popular with the children.
Sperdute Farms is a member of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Farm Market Association of New Castle, and participates in the Ellwood City Farm Market.
Al's father started the farm when he came across from the Old Country. He always raised produce and he did it all manually. He was always in the
garden. His mother, Julia, also had a heavy hand in the operation.
When Al graduated from high school, he took over the farm operation. It's been a growing business ever since. His father helped with the
operations until he died in January of 1981. Now Al is assisted by his own two sons, David and Steven, who work full-time on the farm.
Sperdute, one of five brothers, remembers selling produce from a truck with his father on Route 18 in Mahoningtown. The family owned a small tract ofland off Route 18, where they grew vegetables to sell. They sold produce to a few grocery stores, and they also delivered to homes of a few people in
town.
The Sperdute family bought the farm at its current location in 1957 and produced vegetables on a small scale, selling from a cart and a picnic
table. The family also maintained a dairy farm until 1977 when they started raising beef cattle until 1998. In 1994, they built a market on the premises and production and sales multiplied.
The family raises an abundance of sweet corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables including a wide variety of peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, butternut and acorn squash, Indian corn, and gourds. Small grain, including hay, corn, wheat and soybeans, is a large part of their farming operation that has grown to more than 700 acres (owned and leased land). They sell their crops both wholesale and retail.
The Sperdute pumpkin patch spans 25 acres. The family started hosting an Annual Fall Harvest Festival in 2011. The festival runs on the last weekend
(Saturday and Sunday) of September and now includes food and craft vendors. Barbeque - Ice Cream - Kettle Corn - Hayrides - and Pony Rides are popular with the children.
Sperdute Farms is a member of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Farm Market Association of New Castle, and participates in the Ellwood City Farm Market.