Every spring, Asian pear blossoms bloom in New Jersey at the only Asian pear garden in the U.S.
The pear trees live at Evergreen Farm. They bear the fruits of one man’s American dream.
Kim Chong ll, the owner of the farm, immigrated from Korea to the United States in the 1980s.
“Thirty years ago, many Koreans opened produce markets. I worked at one of them, but I noticed there were no Korean pears, Asian pears. So I made a wish: to grow Asian pears [in the U.S.],” he said.
The pears were hard to grow. Kim tried year after year, but many of his trees became sick or failed to bear fruit.
He didn’t give up and moved to a new location. After 22 years, he finally figured out how to keep the trees healthy.
Now, each fall, around September and October, the pear trees bear large, golden-tan Asian pears.
Today, Kim’s farm is a local attraction. The pears grown here are much fresher than those imported from Asia.
“The guests are like my family, they greet me, they say hello Mr. Kim! They ask me if I am well. I feel very warm inside, very proud,” said Kim.
While enjoying some well-deserved success, he doesn’t forget to give back to his community. Every harvest season, the first batch of fruit is gifted to the elderly members of the community. Kim has been doing so for 10 years.
“I believe God and the heaven would like us to share with our neighbors. So that’s why I decided to do this,” he said.