Cinnaminson Farmers Market Temporarily Closing After Death In Farming Accident

CINNAMINSON, NJ — After the death of a family farmer in a machinery accident, Hunter's Farm Market in Cinnaminson announced it will be closed until further notice.

John Howard Hunter, who operated the centuries-old farm, died in a farming accident Sunday morning, police said. He was 77.

Police did not specify what happened on Sunday. The investigation is ongoing.

• Related: Farmer Killed In Machinery Accident At Well-Known South Jersey Farm

John was the family patriarch, according to his daughter Amy Zorn, who operates the market.

"Do me a favor, in his honor, tell those who are important to you that you love them," Zorn said in the announcement. "Give them a hug, a kiss, a phone call. Life can change in an instant."

The Hunter family has owned the farmland since 1760 — a century before Cinnaminson Township came to be. The farmers market is one of the township's most-visited destinations.

John Howard Hunter was a seventh-century descendent of William Hunter, an Irish immigrant who purchased the land and began to farm along the Pompeston Creek in the mid-18th century.

John and his son, John R. Hunter, led farming operations in recent years.

Hunter's Farm Market is a National Bicentennial Farm — an honor for farms owned and operated by the same family for at least two centuries.

The farmers market is typically open until the day before Thanksgiving. It is located at 1101 Union Landing Rd.