Growing Your Farm Market

Starting as a youngster on the family farm Colleen McKay sold sweet corn on the side of the road. So it’s no surprise that this entrepreneur would chose to start her own farm market. As she says: “everyone has to eat”.
And eating “local” means sourcing local as much as possible. And to compete with much larger grocery stores that surround her operation, she sells “picked fresh today” every day.  “We put a lot of effort into selling consistent quality.” Her customers have rewarded the business with gross sales hitting $1 million this season.
It’s truly a family business with children and parents pitching in over the years. “The family farm gave us a great work ethic and taught us how to get along while working together.” It’s a lesson she hopes to pass on to her young staff. Managing 20 summer staff this year “I can train just about anyone to do the job, but I look for personality that can work well with other people”.
“We’ve got a phenomenal staff. I look for great personalities who really love interacting with the customers. It makes it a fun time for both staff and customers. And it’s become a growing Woodstock, Ontario business.