"Are You Crazy?!" Visiting Markets in Transition

Each year, Penn State Extension hosts a bus tour of retail farm markets called the "Are You Crazy?! Retail Farm Market Bus Tour. We pick a region and visit markets over a one or two day period at the height of the season (that's why it's called "Are You Crazy"). All the folks on the bus own or manage a retail farm market, so it's a real peer-to-peer experience. This year, we visited 4 markets located in eastern Pennsylvania and central New Jersey.

This year's trip had an unintentional theme running through it and that was "transition". Three out of the four farm markets had gone through some major changes to accommodate the next generation of retail market managers.

One of the stops on the tour was with a couple who farm on ground that they have leased from the Conservation District for over thirty years. They built their orchard and market from the ground up and have a dedicated, year-round customer base. The next generation in the family is not interested in the market so this couple is not looking to do more. They have said, "We just want to be better at what we are currently doing." What they do very well is produce high-quality fruit and focus on the customer. By understanding what their customer wants, they can limit what they carry and probably increase their sales per square foot.

On another stop, we met a family who was creating enterprises that supported their children and grandchildren all while keeping the farm viable. It didn't make sense to have the farm go from supporting one family to now trying to support three. Instead, they asked themselves what other enterprises they could add to the farm and market that would support those other family members. Adding a winery, managing tour groups, children programs, and special events are some of the things that this family did to support and retain their growing family.

The last two markets were both over one hundred years old and with both, the business was transferred to the next generation within the last few years. Both markets were completely made over which included a new building, new logo, and new products reflecting the kind of foods and specialty items the current members of the community are looking for.

We can only imagine how difficult and scary it must have been for both the previous and the current generations to watch a market building that their parents built to be demolished to make way for the new. And by all accounts, it appears to be a success in both cases. The one manager/owner reported that in the first year, their gross sales had increased by 50%.

One of the markets we had previously visited talked to us about their business. At that time, they lamented over the fact they didn't have anyone to turn the business over to. As it turned out, an employee who had worked for them since they were a child is now the owner and has managed to keep look and tradition of the market while completely transforming the interior and offering more specialty and gourmet items reflecting the taste of the customer base that is located in one of the wealthiest counties in the state.

As we headed home, there was some discussion regarding future plans for our markets. What's your plan? What's your exit strategy? You may not be ready to retire but it's never too soon to think about what's next for your market.