Our History
Parkesdale Farms, Inc. was started in 1957 in Dover, Florida by Robert Elmore Parke, Sr., and Robert Elmore “Roy” Parke, Jr. The father and son duo moved from Northern Ireland during the “Potato Famine” as vegetable farmers through Ellis Island in the early 1920’s, planting roots in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Willow Tree Farm was the original farm name in Pennsylvania where the Parke Farmers focused on dairy and vegetable farming. With cold winters, these Irish immigrants began looking for warmer farming weather and ventured down to the Central Florida area where the temperature and sand was just right for vegetables and strawberries to be grown.
Over the past 63 years, Roy’s family grew and the land and farm changed hands to his son’s, Robert H. “Bobby” and Gary Roy Parke, and eventually to Bobby and Peggy Parke, the current owners. Bobby and Peggy’s children are continuing the family business with Erin Parke Watson as the Director of Food Safety and Compliance, Kristen Parke Hitchcock as the Director of Finance and Business Development, and Robert Matthew “Matt” Parke as the Director of Operations.
