The Fruit Growers News - February 2003

Kay Hollabaugh shows off the operation’s wonderful pumpkin crop.
Hollabaugh Brothers is a farm market that stresses the farm aspect of their market. While they are not interested in venturing too far into agri-tainment, the Biglerville, Pa. operation is interested in sharing their knowledge of the farm and the farm market experience with their customers. “When I look at how our operation compares with many who are involved with the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA), we may be a little different,” said Kay Hollabaugh. “We grow 500 acres of tree fruit and our operation is focused on tree fruit.” But Hollabaugh, a member of the NAFDMA board of directors, surely does not have any disdain for what many farm marketers have termed agri-tainment. She just wants other farm marketers to know that you don’t have to have a yard full of attractions. “Our goal at our farm market is to be able to concentrate on education while maintaining our ability to grow fruit,” said Hollabaugh. “We don’t want to stop being a farm.” The operation’s main goal is to be profitable, and adopting a farm marketer’s education agenda has enabled the operation to educate the consumer. Their customers know that real live people man the operation, said Hollabaugh. “The fruit doesn’t automatically appear at the customer’s grocery story. A person grows it,” she said. What was once a simple “fruit stand,” has evolved over the years into a greenhouse in the spring, a produce market in the summer and a pumpkin patch in the fall. Customers can visit the operation when they are open in late April or early May and keep coming back until they close just before Christmas. They offer home-grown, quality fruits of all types, their own canned peaches, preserves, butters, honeys, home-baked pies and breads. The original “Hollabaugh Bros.,” Donald and Harold, were twins who founded the business in 1955. Kay said the brothers have passed their knowledge and love of the land on to the second generation that is now sharing it with the third. Today, supported by wives, children and grandchildren, the Hollabaughs are growing fruit on over 120,000 trees. The originators are enjoying semi-retirement, but are still active in the business. Harold has three children, but none are actively involved in the business at this time. Both twins provide counsel for farm management. Donald is the father of the three sons who are now the second generation. Son number one is Steve, an accomplished photographer, who is married to Vicky. She works at the farm market and is the shipping manager. Steve is responsible for machinery maintenance, container management and transport, the bin-building enterprise, and assists with wholesale sales operations as well as truck driving. Steve and Vicky have no children involved in the business. Son number two is Brad; he is the computer guru and functions somewhat as a general manger for farm operations, communications, personnel, and pest management. Kay is married to Brad and acts as office and retail market manager. Kay and Brad’s children, Bruce and Ellie, are also involved in the farm’s operation. Bruce graduated last spring from Penn State University with a degree in horticulture and Spanish. Bruce is assistant personnel manager and a small fruit specialist. Ellie, a freshman at Penn State majoring in agricultural business management and Spanish, plans to come back to the farm after graduation. Donald’s third son Neil is the company’s wholesale manager. He is responsible for all wholesale fruit sales as well as loading and coordinating deliveries. He is involved with truck and equipment maintenance and assists with many personnel duties as well as general farm operations. Neil’s wife, Georgia, is a schoolteacher who helps out at the market on busy weekends. Their son, Wayne, will graduate from high school this spring. On any given day, you’ll find some family member at the market, out in the orchard supervising a crew, driving a truck, making out payroll or preparing gift boxes for shipping all over the United States. “This is definitely a family affair and all family members are vitally important in their own way,” said Kay. “There is no way we could do what we do, if all the family didn’t work hard together.” School tours are a part of the operation’s outreach. “Yes I am educating that child, but I also see them coming back on the weekend with grandma and grandpa - and they are spending money on our products,” she said. The school tour portion of the business also sends home teacher report cards to garner feedback. For many years, the Hollabaughs have been offering tractor-driven wagon tours through their rolling orchards. During the spring months tourists can learn about the importance of pruning and fertilization. While the operation doesn’t offer u-pick, they have an apple porch. The Hollabaugh apple porch allows customers to pick from bins in an area – filling a pre-purchased bag. The mix and match approach to variety sales is very popular with the customers. The apple porch has featured 20 to 25 different varieties at a time. The operation grows a wide variety of fresh fruit. They offer in-season strawberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, pears and apples. They also supplement their fruit with vegetables purchased from local growers. For the company, the delivery of peaches to regions that can’t grow them has been a reliable source of income. “We’ll send a truck out absolutely loaded, and the driver will call back and say send more,” Kay said. They deliver peaches as far away as Vermont and Iowa. The delivery service has been a very strong niche for us because we produce it, and we know what we are selling.”