Meet the Family

Owner

Thomas E. Gerber

Tom is a fourth generation cranberry grower, following the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His ancestry, both maternal and paternal, dates back to the origins of the Pine Barrens, his entire family tree being intertwined with the roots of cranberry bog cultivation. Andrew Etheridge, Tom’s maternal great-grandfather, worked as one of Joseph Wharton’s caretakers, overseeing the cranberry operations at Sandy Ridge, Deep Run, Atsion Meadows, Goshen, Iron Mill and Ancora Bogs.

On his father’s side, Julius Gerber II, Tom’s paternal grandfather, worked for the Evans and Wills company, managing cranberry bogs at Friendship. In 1912, Julius took over managing the bogs at what is present day Quoexin Cranberry Farm, the word “Quoexin” being the Lenape word for “little”. Tom, his father Paul Gerber Sr and his uncle Ross Gerber, all worked at the Quoexin Cranberry bogs under Francis Sharpless, an owner-partner of the former Evans and Wills company. Tom and his partner, Christine Gerber, purchased the property in 1997. Today, 60 acres of the 1,000 acre private property are farmed, some being the originally farmed acreage from 1850. Quoexin Cranberry Farm is grown, harvested and maintained by Tom, his partner Christine and their immediate family. In addition to being a cranberry farmer, Tom is a third generation Forest Fire Warden for the state of New Jersey, working alongside many generations within his family including cousins, nephews and his daughter, Ambriel.

Christine Gerber

Co-Owner

Originally from Philadelphia, Christine moved to South Jersey in the mid 1970’s and has been a Medford resident ever since. Christine is the granddaughter of two Italian immigrants, arriving in Philadelphia in the 1920s from Italy. Due to her heritage, she has always felt closely tied to the history of the New Jersey cranberry industry, as many cranberry pickers of the 20th century were Italian immigrants themselves. Christine’s mother, Edith Waters-Farrace, also shared a love for the local history of the Pine Barrens, and served as caretaker for both the Atsion + Batsto Mansions, making Pine Barrens history a true “family business” for both Christine and Tom. After moving to New Jersey, Christine put herself through nursing school and continues a career in Healthcare with a Masters in Healthcare Administration.

When she’s not maintaining the farm or sorting for harvest, Christine can be found kayaking in the summer, working on her garden and playing with her 2 year old Bernese puppy, Adalee.

As the fifth generation of Quoexin Cranberry Farm, Ambriel shares the same love of history and family legacy as her father, Tom. Ambriel grew up at Quoexin with most of her childhood memories consisting of sorting cranberries, accompanying Tom on drives for deliveries and scooping bags of fresh cranberries at local farm markets. From an early age, Ambriel has always felt passionate about her family’s history with cranberry farming and the connections of her bloodline throughout the origins of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. She followed her family’s footsteps and is trained in forest firefighting. She hopes to one day combine her education in psychology with forest firefighting and continue her family heritage.

Ambriel and her partner, Daniel, continue to look forward to harvest every year and bring the family legacy into the next generation.

5th Generation