George, George Jr. & Joan Rude
Farmer George and Joan Rude, owners of the Griggstown Quail Farm and Griggstown Farm Market were both raised in Belle Mead, New Jersey. George is a Vietnam veteran and served in the Army from 1968-1970. In 1971, George & Joan married. At the time George was in landscaping and Joan was a teacher in Hillsborough Township. Their son, George Jr. grew up working on the farm. He now delivers the farm’s products to N.J., N.Y.C. and Philadelphia. George Jr. also works the seasonal farm markets where the farm’s products are sold. In 1974, George joined forces with landowner Peter Josten, and Steven Spector to start up the Griggstown Quail Farm in Princeton, New Jersey (Franklin Township). Through their association with James Beard, the farm sold natural farm raised quail to restaurants in New York City. Since that time, the Griggstown Quail Farm has grown into a comprehensive poultry farm that naturally & responsibly raises pheasants, ducks, poussins, chickens, and turkeys in addition to their signature quail. In 2002 George and Joan opened the Griggstown Farm Market to sell their farm grown birds to the public as well as to wholesalers. Over the years, George and Joan have purchased all 65 acres of the farm in Griggstown and have recently preserved the land.
Peter & Sara Rude
In 1982, Peter Rude, Farmer George’s brother, joined the Griggstown Quail Farm. In the beginning, Peter worked closely with George to learn all aspects of the business. Peter now serves as the general manager of the Griggstown Quail Farm. In 2001, Peter and his wife, Sara founded Rudy’s Game Birds, LLC, which distributes the farm’s products to fine dining establishments in all of New Jersey and lower Bucks County.
Peter was raised in Belle Mead, NJ attending Hillsboro High School from 1978-1982. In 2000 Peter and Sara became proud parents of twins, Peter Christopher and Katie Jean Rude. The Rude family works closely together in a partnership to maintain and support the family farm business and it is hoped that the twins will someday carry on the business of the farm that their aunt and uncle founded, as well as the business started by their own parents.
Matthew Sytsema, Chef
“From Field to Table” is a concept that has been instilled in Matthew from an early age. Matthew grew up on a small dairy farm in Sussex County where he learned first hand the importance of fresh ingredients in making delicious meals. He worked the farm with his father and spent precious time with this mother and grandmother in the kitchen preserving and baking farm fresh ingredients. This early love and appreciation for food inspired him to pursue a career in the food industry.
Following high school, Matthew enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. While in school, Matthew interned at Café Boulud in New York City and after graduating worked at the prestigious Ryland Inn in White House, New Jersey.
In the fall of 2003 Farmer George Rude hired Matthew to run The Griggstown Farm Market. During his first year of employment with George, Matthew worked on the farm, learning the entire operation from start to finish. During that first year he also developed the store’s signature Chicken Pot Pie, in his mother’s kitchen. The Griggstown Market has continued to blossom under Matthew’s supervision, now producing over 40 different food products in a shiny new certified USDA kitchen, featuring ingredients from the farm. Griggstown Farm products are also currently sold at over 30 different retail outlets in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as 12 neighboring seasonal farmers markets.
In the winter of 2009, Matthew began plans to expand the market to include a vegetable and herb farm. The farm’s produce will be distributed through a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) as well as to local restaurants and retail stores.
