Growing through loss

Disease, frost, floods, heat and cold are not a shock to growers, but many who operate customer-facing business models such as on-farm markets will likely find themselves fielding questions about why their favorites won’t be available this season.

Penn State Extension recently hosted a grower panel on how to address customers’ concerns in a tough growing year – or during any other challenging conditions.

Carla Snyder, associate state program leader, Energy, Business & Community Vitality, noted the Mid-Atlantic experienced a significant freeze event that threatened small fruit and horticultural nursery crops. The result will likely be reduced fruit volume and reduced availability of specific varieties of multiple crops for all markets.

“We’re here to strike a balance between informing customers and encouraging them to support farms this summer by letting them know what we will have to offer,” Snyder said.

Third-generation grower Ellie Hollabaugh Vranich leads market management and marketing at Hollabaugh Brothers, a 500-acre orchard in Biglerville, PA. Following a hard frost that occurred after blossom, she emailed customers regarding this year’s crops. The email headline expressed the issue as a challenge rather than a disaster, then focused on customer connections, hopefulness and that other crops were progressing as usual.

Vranich’s goal was to be clear and honest with customers and set the stage so expectations could be adapted, despite unknowns and ever-changing information.

“I didn’t want to share too much because it was early and we still developing what things will look like,” Vranich said. “I wanted to make sure we were sending a message that it wasn’t all doom and gloom and there were things to be hopeful about.”

Hollabaugh Brothers is planning additional events and opportunities to draw customers to the farm market, including a new play area to provide more space for children and draw families to the market more often.

The Hollabaughs are still evaluating how to handle apple season. The U-pick orchard is also used for school tours, so they must determine how much the public can pick while reserving enough for schoolchildren. There’s additional emphasis on U-cut flowers this year, and some vegetables are planted near the flowers as options for people who want something to pick.

Vranich said Hollabaugh Brothers has hardcore followers of specific peach varieties.

“We have a database of customers to notify every year when their favorite variety comes in,” she said. “We’re going to have to do a lot of strategic communication during peach season to say ‘Your crop was frozen out, we don’t have Red Haven peaches this year, but have you tried (this)?’”

She hopes farm market signage and social media posts will encourage customers to try different varieties.

“It’s about the connections and relationships we’re establishing with customers and a reminder that we’re a farming family, and what we’re going through it not something we always have control over,” Vranich said. “Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly can go a long way toward reminding people of the importance of supporting family farms … We’re finding that when it comes to important things about our farming operation and how it’s affecting what people see in the retail market, candid honesty works well for us.”

Morgan Bond is a seventh-generation farmer whose family focuses on U-pick strawberries in addition to their diversified 400-acre operation in Ringtown, PA (B&R Farms). Bond explained that the farm is in a rebuilding year.

“Last year, we had 100% crop failure,” Bond said. “When everyone had rain, we had three months without. It isn’t going to be easy, but it isn’t the end.”

She added that it’s important to push through with an attitude of optimism and opportunity while realizing that U-pick is a tradition for many families. The family sees this season as an opportunity coming out of a dreadful previous year.

Employees who are customer service-focused and friendly are invaluable. “It doesn’t seem like talking pays, but it does,” Bond said. “Having the right people at the cash register or to be a conduit to customers, even if it’s kids on the picking crew I’m leading when we’re picking – let’s talk about what customer service interactions look like.”

She communicates to customers that a price increase helps offset other costs. When they raise prices, it’s either an increase in PYO price or an increase in retail – they try not to raise both in the same year.

Last year, the farm planted a half-acre of black seed sunflowers, mostly for deer, but the sunflowers quickly attracted customers. “Sunflowers were easy and cost-effective,” Bond said. “People wanted to take pictures, and it brought new customers.”

She talked with other growers who said that if fruit wasn’t going to work this year, they would double pumpkin production.

Last year, when they saw total crop loss, partnering with other area farmers was helpful. Bond sent the most dedicated pickers to other farms to make sure they got what they wanted, which helped strengthen other farms’ businesses. Ideally, if those farms have a hard year in the future, they will send people back to her farm.

Social media helps Bond plan messaging when it will be the most effective. She uses social media metrics to determine when customers are viewing posts and when they’re sharing.

Third-generation grower Hallie Butler Van Horn focuses on personnel and farm market management at Butler’s Orchard, her family’s diversified 300-acre farm in Germantown, MD.

“I always try to find the silver lining when talking with customers and let them know what’s available and not have them go elsewhere,” said Van Horn. “We point out to customers how the farm is diversified and ensure there will be something available.”

The farm had already increased prices for 2026 and a farm admission fee helps with loss in tough years. The goal is getting customers on the property and making sure they don’t forget Butler Farm Market and what’s available there.

“We started doing in-store vendor sampling and it’s doing well,” Van Horn said. “We are resurrecting some things we stopped during COVID and adding new things. We’re pushing birthday parties and offering alternatives – perhaps cut flowers instead of blackberries.”

She said U-pick options might not be what people are interested in due to frost or a shortage, but there will always be something to pick.

“The family started doing that years ago and it’s been successful for these situations,” Van Horn said. “If it’s suddenly 95º in May and strawberries melt in the field, blueberries are right there and black raspberries are coming. People are picking less but pick-your-own is what gets them on the property. Then we hit them with ‘Look at this awesome farm market, our playground, restaurant, the agritainment’ to get extra dollars back.”

One customer favorite at Butler’s that will be tough this season is tart cherries. Van Horn said tart cherry customers are very dedicated and buy many buckets, but the crop won’t be available this year. She plans to try to source cherries from other growers. She will send people to another farm that has what they want, and customers will return even if they had to go elsewhere this year.

“That’s always been the farmer mentality,” Butler said, “especially when we’re dealing with the public, with customers coming onto the farm. Customers are very loyal.”

by Sally Colby