Arlene Gorchov
Arlene grew up on a poultry farm near Englishtown, NJ on the edge of Middlesex County. Her parents, Benny and Libby Leavitt, bought the farm in 1948, just two years before Arlene was born, with a mortgage from the Jewish Agricultural Society. The JAS also gave Arlene a grant for college since her family was a member of the society, as well as a member of the “farm feed cooperative” in Hightstown. In addition, Arlene’s grandparents were founding members of the Sons of Israel Synagogue in Englishtown.
The images below are courtesy of Arlene Gorchov.
The woman in the foreground grading eggs is Arlene’s mother, Libby Leavitt, with a neighbor in the background. The picture was taken for a local newspaper, possibly the Home News in East Brunswick.
circa 1960s
This field of flowers are Cockscombs that Arlene’s father, Benny Leavitt, loved to grow and would sell. Arlene’s parents ended their poultry farming while she was away at college and started planting flowers and vegetables to sell. Large Southern farms with caged chickens had become difficult competition.
circa 1970s
