“A FARMER CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY TRACTORS”: In memory of Gary Mount, Terhune Orchards displays a lineup of tractors at the entrance to the farm. Each tractor serves a purpose, and reflects Gary’s constant curiosity, innovation, and deep love of farming. (Photo courtesy of Terhune Orchards)
By Anne Levin
The death of agricultural leader and lifelong Princeton resident Gary Mount has inspired numerous tributes from colleagues and associates throughout the local community. Mount died of glioblastoma brain cancer on Monday, December 29 at his home, Terhune Orchards (see obituary on page 35).
“Having raised my daughters in Mercer County, we spent many weekends enjoying all the farm has to offer so I knew of Gary prior to even working alongside him and the Mount family in a professional capacity,” wrote Chris Cirkus, market manager for the West Windsor Community Farmers Market, in an email. “Terhune Orchards continues to be a beloved participant at the West Windsor Farmers Market. My work within the farm to school community brought me to the farm too many times to count. He was influential in my decision to manage the Trenton Farmers Market from 2019-22, and the reason I’m a member of the Mercer County Agriculture Development Board, as he always told me that I had a unique voice in agriculture.
“I treasured his wisdom, steady confidence, and unique perspective on all things agriculture. Gary was a larger than life visionary, a brilliant marketer, and an important farmer in our region whose influence will be felt for generations.”
Charles Roohr, executive director of the State Agricultural Development Committee (New Jersey Department of Agriculture), wrote in an email that Mount was a pillar of the community in many ways.
“He created a farm with his family that so many people loved to visit and support, would always help and encourage new and next generation farmers getting started, and spent countless hours on county and state agricultural boards to promote the viability of agriculture in New Jersey,” Roohr wrote. “Gary served on the state’s farmland preservation committee from 2003-2008 and lent his time and intellect to shaping many of the policies and precedents that have become the bedrock principles of the agency. His legacy is not just in the farm he built, but in the support he gave farmland preservation and farming as a member of the Mercer County Agriculture Development Board (CADB), State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), and so many other groups. Gary’s respected, calm, and reasoned voice will be missed.”
On a personal note, Roohr recalled Mount’s help when Roohr asked for his assistance in establishing a cherry orchard at the farm he and his brothers had purchased from their grandparents. Instead of considering him a competitor, Mount encouraged Roohr and provided much-appreciated advice.
“Having planted our orchard, I have returned to visit with Gary on numerous occasions seeking to clarify some of his words of wisdom,” Roohr wrote. “Each time I visited I was greeted with a smile and his genuine interest in how my project was going and what he could do to help. His generosity, wisdom, and kindness is a loss for me and the ag community as a whole. Interestingly the first real harvest of cherries from our orchard will be this year. Whatever success we have is in large part due to Mr. Mount. Fitting for a man of his distinction his legacy lives on not only with his own family and his own farm, but also with those operations around the state he so willingly mentored.”
Pete Watson, director of Howell Living History Farm and Pleasant Valley Historical Park, knew Mount from their days serving in the Peace Corps.
“Gary was a fellow Peace Corps volunteer in agricultural extension and was always interested in improving crops and methods for growing them so people everywhere could live better lives,” he wrote. “He believed that places like Howell Farm could help with that, while giving people in our increasingly urban communities a chance to get their hands in the soil and their taste buds on something as good as the apples he grew. He always helped our county administration and agricultural extension office, and those of us at Howell Farm, be good stewards of the land that feeds us, and he always made sure the gate to Terhune Orchard and to Howell Farm was open to anyone who wanted to learn how.
“To me, he was a great friend and mentor and a damn good apple grower. His work will be carried on, as he’d want by his wonderful family, farm staff, and the fellow return Peace Corps volunteers who so often visited him to share stories of farms and farmers near
and far.”
Jim Waltman, executive director of The Watershed Institute, wrote, “The Watershed Institute mourns the passing of Gary Mount, a visionary and transformational figure who leaves an extraordinary legacy of land conservation and sustainable agricultural. In the 1980s, Gary served on the board of trustees of The Watershed Institute (then called the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association), helping the organization create the Watershed Organic Farm and the organization’s sustainable agriculture program.
“He was instrumental in creating New Jersey’s farmland preservation program and served on local and state boards that oversee that program for many years. Gary was a brilliant farmer and businessman who inspired, educated, and brought joy to thousands of people for more than five decades. With his wife Pam, Gary created the groundbreaking Terhune Orchards, a 250-acre farm that is permanently preserved land. In 2015, Gary and Pam received the Edmund W. Stiles Award, The Watershed Institute’s highest honor, for their leadership in conservation and sustainability.”
Among Mount’s favorite activities was rowing, to which he was introduced by his daughters. Mount became a member of the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association, serving for many years as club treasurer and as captain overseeing daily operations. Fellow member Tom Heebink called Mount a “cornerstone of the club whose dedication and leadership shaped its success for decades.”
Heebink elaborated, “Gary was deeply committed to rowing, giving countless years not only as an accomplished rower but also as a tireless leader and steward of the club. His steady presence ensured that the club ran smoothly and with purpose. You could always count on seeing him at the boathouse, organizing rowing sessions, welcoming members, and quietly making sure everything was in order. Gary led with fairness, kindness, and a wonderful sense of humor. He had a rare gift for making everyone feel included, regardless of experience. He was especially encouraging to newcomers who were just learning to row, offering patience, guidance, and genuine enthusiasm.
“More than an administrator or leader, Gary was the heart of the boathouse. His smiling face, generosity of spirit, and unwavering commitment to the rowing community will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of rowing alongside him.”