PRESERVING SHADY BROOK FARM

A message from The Fleming Family:

Our family business has been around for more than a century, and we plan to continue for many more generations. Our footprint will be a little smaller, but Shady Brook Farm is here to stay!

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From our family’s and Shady Brook Farm’s beginning in Andalusia (Bensalem) in 1913, to our relocation to Lower Makefield, and transition from wholesale to retail and entertainment, our business has thrived through its ability to continually adapt to the changing environment.

We are fourth generation operators who want to pass down the business to the 5th generation:

Our History

Our family business was started by our great-grandfather, T. Herman Fleming, in 1913 in Andalusia (Bensalem) selling produce that he grew off the back of a truck.

1st Generation

Eventually, our grandmother and grandfather took over selling produce up and down the East Coast under the BuddMar name. Our grandmother was a school principal, and her salary saved the family business through World War II.

2nd Generation:

Then, our father and uncle took over with their wives and continued the wholesale vegetable farm, called a trucking farm.

3rd Generation:

As soon as our eldest brother graduated from college, he came back to Shady Brook Farm and started the main portions of our family business. He started the retail, the haunted hayride, the holiday light show – which we’ve done for over 30 years now and run together, in addition to our pick-your-own events, FallFest, Easter Egg-Hunts, and more!

4th Generation:

Our family business was started by our great-grandfather, T. Herman Fleming, in 1913 in Andalusia (Bensalem) selling produce that he grew off the back of

a truck.

1st Generation

Eventually, our grandmother and grandfather took over selling produce up and down the East Coast under the BuddMar name. Our grandmother was a school principal, and her salary saved the family business through World War II.

2nd Generation:

Then, our father and uncle took over with their wives and continued the wholesale vegetable farm, called a

trucking farm.

3rd Generation:

As soon as our eldest brother graduated from college, he came back to Shady Brook Farm and started the main portions of our family business. He started the retail, the haunted hayride, the holiday light show – which we’ve done for over 30 years now and run together, in addition to our pick-your-own events, FallFest, Easter Egg-Hunts, and more!

4th Generation:

This generation started, and still works together to run, the main portions of our family business including retail operations, fall events, the Holiday Light Show--which we've done for over 30 year now--in addition to our pick your own events, FallFest, Easter Eggstravaganza, the Summer unWINEd and more.

1st Generation:

2nd Generation:

3rd Generation:

4th Generation:

3rd Generation:

2nd Generation:

1st Generation:

Our family business was started by our great-grandfather, T. Herman Fleming, in 1913 in Andalusia (Bensalem) selling produce that he grew off the back of a truck.

1st Generation:

Eventually, our grandmother and grandfather took over selling produce up and down the East Coast under the BudMar name. Our grandmother was a school principal, and her salary saved the family business through World War II.

2nd Generation:

As soon as our eldest brother graduated from college, he came back to Shady Brook Farm and started the main portions of our family business. He started the retail, the haunted hayride, the holiday light show – which we’ve done for over 30 years now and run together, in addition to our pick-your-own events, FallFest, Easter Egg-Hunts, and more!

Then, our father and uncle took over with their wives and continued the wholesale vegetable farm, called a trucking farm.

3rd Generation:

Then, our father and uncle took over with their wives and continued the wholesale vegetable farm, called a trucking farm.

3rd Generation:

In preparing for the next generation, our family envisions the future Shady Brook Farm as a unique community of shops, homes, and the farm – a place where the community can work, live, and play. Our events are not only important for our business, but they are also important for our future. We believe our events have had a positive impact on the community, and we love doing them – they are the lifeblood of our family business. If we could go back 30 years, Shady Brook Farm would have shifted to an event and entertainment focused business even sooner.

Our family has spent years planning for the next generation of Shady Brook Farm. Family businesses have a less than one percent chance that it carries from the 4th generation to the 5th generation. Through much analysis and discussion, we’ve decided that we need to focus on the things that we love to do, and that the community enjoys and stands to benefit from. We will maintain 50 acres, of our current footprint to preserve the Shady Brook Farm. We plan to continue leasing farmland from some of our neighbors. Moving into a more event and entertainment focused business model will free up space and capacity for growth, allowing our family business to continue to the next generation.

Adapting to the Changing Environment

New age-targeted residential and commercial opportunities.

Expanding Stone’s Throw Pub and renovating our historic produce packing house into a restaurant/cafe.

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Summer UnWINEd, Fall Harvest Festival, Pick-Your-Own days, and year-round school field trips.

The Same vs. New Opportunities

Largely Unchanged

Holiday Light Show

Restaurant/Café

Town Center

New age-targeted residential and commercial opportunities.

Summer UnWINEd, Fall Harvest Festival, Pick-Your-Own days, and year-round school field trips.

Largely Unchanged:

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Holiday Light Show:

Expanding Stone’s Throw Pub and renovating our historic produce packing house into a restaurant/cafe.

New age-targeted residential and commercial opportunities.

Summer UnWINEd, Fall Harvest Festival, Pick-Your-Own days, and year-round school field trips.

Largely Unchanged:

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Holiday Light Show:

Expanding Stone’s Throw Pub and renovating our historic produce packing house into a restaurant/cafe.

Town Center

Expanding Stone’s Throw Pub and renovating our historic produce packing house into a restaurant/cafe.

Restaurant/Café

Largely Unchanged

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Holiday Light Show

We'll still hold the Summer unWINEd concerts, FallFest, Pick-Your-Own days, and seasonal school & group field trips

Largely Unchanged

Expanding Stone’s Throw Pub and renovating our historic produce packing house into a restaurant/cafe.

Restaurant/Café

Largely Unchanged

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Holiday Light Show

We plan to re-imagine the Light Show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic

Town Center

We plan to modify the light show, allowing for a more controlled environment for guests and traffic.

Holiday Light Show

We have spent the last three years reviewing several concepts that will allow us to downsize while maintaining our business. We spoke with many land planners and have identified responsible partners who have a long history and commitment to the community that we can work with to make our plan a reality.

Our next step is to work with our municipal partners, such as Lower Makefield Township, to amend our existing zoning that would allow our family to make these upgrades.

Moving Forward

We Would Like Your Support to Preserve Shady Brook Farm for the Next Generation.