Our Origin Story
Don’s folks, George and Melanie DeVault, built their dream house on twenty acres in Vera Cruz, Pennsylvania that they named Pheasant Hill Farm because of the abundance of wild pheasants on the property. An early architect’s sketch of the farmhouse offered a misspelling of the back “porch” that became a family joke at the same time that the p-o-r-T-c-h became the calm center of activity in the greenhouses and fields. Preserving the sentiment, construction of the new farmentory and shop prominently featured an inviting porch to welcome customers with the goal of connecting them not only to the product, but the process— the lifestyle and family behind it.
In 1987, the DeVaults started Pheasant Hill Farm by siphoning water with a garden hose from 55 gallon drums in the back of an old pickup to water-in sugar snap peas in roughly-tilled ground. They sold produce at their local farmers’ markets, began a CSA and served as the resident farmers and educators in the community. Since 2017, the family has retooled and reinvented with one purpose in mind: to reconnect. Regardless of what they grow or raise, small farms and small farmers live or die by the strength of the community they cultivate. At Portch Tea, we remain small farmers and this remains our mandate. We have grown our business organically by innovating and constantly striving to exceed expectations. It takes a long time and a lot of work to get from seeds sewn in early spring to a fall harvest and hand-processing before we can even begin to make a product. Our purpose-built production space is now also a licensed Limited Winery, which adds an extra dimension to what we offer to our community in the very same space that we grow and brew and live.
Our community support has led to more farm events, including yoga, live music, and “The Country Mile” sunflower and wildflower trail.
“THE COUNTRY MILE” TRAIL
& FARM SHOP
Come on by and check out the wildflowers on “The Country Mile”, production in the fields, greenhouses, and the taps at the Portch Tea Farm Shop. Taste some kombucha, ask some questions, chill, have a good time.
A “Country Mile” is an expression used to indicate an uncertain, exaggerated or meandering distance. And we kind of like that. It feels like an invitation to just about whatever you can dream up along the way.
