The Produce Patch preserving farm-to-table in their communities

WASHINGTON, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A new building just went up in Washinton, Indiana, but the goal inside the building stays the same.

The idea of farm to table is becoming a lot scarcer here in the US, but a local family here in Washington, Indiana is showing that them and their products are not going anywhere.

The Produce Patch Farm Market with 6 locations around Southern Indiana recently opened their new building in Washington, Indiana on the businesses 30th anniversary.

“So, it was kind of perfect that we were able to open our flagship store, said Abby Slone, manager of The Produce Patch store. “It’s kind of always been a dream. We have always, for the last 30 years, functioned basically out of a little building on the side of the road.”

And although the old building had a lot of charm, Abby and her mother Amy, the co-owner of The Produce Patch, want to see the business and building stand the test of time.

“It’s really what the next generation wants to do with the business, said Amy Holstein. “I want it to be not just my passion, but I want it to become theirs too”.

The new building opens up many possibilities for what they want to do in the future.

“So, we’ll hopefully add some local frozen meats and local cut watermelon to have fresh cuts available for people who don’t want whole watermelons, and just farm fresh eggs,” said Slone.

But the new building isn’t just for them, it is also for the community and making sure that they have a place to go to for fresh, reliable, local food.

“We grow a lot of what we offer, but we do source from a lot of other area farms, and so I enjoy connecting with those partners also. Not just the community but other growers in the area and being kind of a liaison between other growers and our customers,” said Holstein.

By keeping local produce stores open and fully functioning it paves the way for future generations to be involved in the food they eat and where it is grown. 

“We kind of wanted to build something that would show the community that we’re going to be here for the next several generations to come,” said Slone.

The owners of the produce patch said that the previous building did not get demolished but instead got relocated to a lavender farm in Dubois County.

The business had over 400,000 ears of corn handpicked daily this year, as well as 200,000 pounds of tomatoes.