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Brown's Berry Patch To End Retail Operation

www.brownsberrypatch.com

It's the end of a tradition for a well known local fruit farm, Brown's Berry Patch.

After 30 years of providing retail operations at their fruit farm in Waterport, Orleans County, the Brown family won't be doing that anymore.

Bob Brown says the biggest part of their farm involves wholesale fruit operations. You may have seen their cherries, apples, peaches and other goods at area supermarkets or farm stands. That will continue.  But he says he and his wife are at the point in their lives now where they need to cut back on their workload, so they won't be doing the fruit and food sales, and all of the special events.

Brown says when he started talking about the possible change last year, it really sparked a lot of memories among his customers.

"Last fall I just had this going around in my mind and I swear there were more people that came up to me and said, you know, my grandparents brought me here, and now I'm here with my kids."

Brown says to end the retail business just “cuts a hole in your heart, “ but he doesn't have anyone in his family who can do the retail part of the operation. Brown will remain involved with his staff on the wholesale side of the farming.

His 300 acre fruit farm actually has roots that go back 8 generations, to the early 1800s.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.