REYNOLDSVILLE — The Rathmel Run Farmer’s Market, a roadside farm stand featuring fresh and locally-grown produce and other items, continues to grow and expand as it serves the community.
Dennis Day, owner of Rathmel Run Farms at 2288 Wayne Road, said the produce stand was started about four years ago, and has expanded since its inception. It offers around 35 different products throughout the summer and fall, including several different kinds of peppers and tomatoes, zucchini, beans, potatoes, pickles, garlic, cucumbers and more.
The farm has 100,000 square feet of land dedicated to produce.
Day said during the pandemic, he was receiving a lot of questions from people about gardening, a very big passion of his. What he does doesn’t feel like work, he says, as he enjoys it.
Like Day, his daughter –JoDee Mulhollan –started growing flowers as a hobby and something she enjoys. The flowers are now also sold at the farm stand, and are popular among visitors.
This year, Day started growing Swiss chard and head lettuce, which –to his surprise –has been very popular among customers.
Business at the farm stand is busier than ever, Day said. They recently added on to the building to have more room available. People travel from just about all over to visit the market, including Punxsutawney, Clearfield and other areas.
The Rathmel Run Farmer’s Market is often a family affair, with Day’s wife, Sue, and Jake Day, 8, who help, as well as Mulhollan’s kids, Cooper and Claire, who occasionally might sell lemonade or cookies.
Day, who has a health condition that has caused him to loose 85% of his vision around six years ago, grew up on a produce farm, where he was picking tomatoes at a very young age, said Sue and Mulhollan. Gardening and running the farm became a viable career switch for him, as well as something he enjoys doing.
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The farm stand starts selling around the Fourth of July, said Mulhollan, and will close around mid October.
The stand tends to attract a lot of healthy eaters, said Day, and people wanting to buy locally-grown and fresh products. Gardening is all about the seasons, too, with items like peppers becoming more plentiful in August.
It offers other items as well, such as Rathmel Run Farms apparel and eggs and blueberries acquired from other farms.
People will show up early in the morning ready to purchase tomatoes, said Day, as 50-60 of them are picked daily.
“Right now, we run out of tomatoes almost every day,” he said.
The farmer’s market is open daily, and utilizes the honor system, which has went well for them, said Day and Mulhollan. People seem to be very supportive of local farmers and small family-owned businesses.
There are seasonal items grown, too, such as mums and pumpkins in the fall. A Fall Festival, featuring hay rides, pumpkin picking and vendors, is held at Rathmel Run Farms each year.
For more information, visit Rathmel Run Farms on Facebook or call 814-591-7700.
