Growing Your Customer Base

 

Much has changed since Shenot Farm was founded by Christopher Scheno in 1854. Located just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, the land was passed down from generation to generation, and now this 100-acre farm is operated by the father and son team of Ed (fifth generation) and Rob (sixth generation) Shenot. To stay competitive in a volatile marketplace, the Shenots have made a few changes over the last few decades.

In the early years and up until the late 1960s, the operation included a dairy farm. At that time, in addition to the cows, the Shenots grew a handful of crops that included sweet corn and apples. That small list is a far cry from the extensive crop list of today that also includes pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, melons, zucchini, and other cole crops. On the fruit side, peaches, pears, plums, and blueberries are grown.

And unlike previous generations, Ed and Rob have degrees from Penn State University, and both majored in horticulture. “Farming is something that I grew up with and I always loved doing the work,” says Rob. “Once I went to Penn State and learned the scientific basis behind what I was doing, it made me love it more,” he says.

When Ed was heading off to college in the 1960s, he made one request to his father: Get rid of the dairy operation. The farm’s focus, he contended, needed to be solely on the produce. The Shenots also stopped taking their produce to the Pittsburgh Farmers Market, opting instead to sell it at their own farm market.

Marketing Manuevers

While Ed and Rob handle production, Ed’s wife Mary Lou is in charge of marketing. In the late 1960s, the decision was made to sell their produce at a small stand at the end of the driveway. In 1972, they opted to go with a full-size market and have added on to the market several times since then.

The farm market is open from Memorial Day weekend through February 14. The family says it is their high-quality fresh produce that brings the customers in and keeps them coming back.

So, how do they attract new customers? “We rely on word of mouth,” says Mary Lou. “Of course, we use many forms of advertising, but word of mouth is always the best.”

Along with the fresh produce, the Shenots also offer field trips in the fall for school groups, and they provide hayrides to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch
during the month of October.

A big draw to the farm market is Mary Lou’s 50-plus flavors of homemade fudge. Who can resist flavors such as peanut butter chocolate swirl and dark chocolate caramel toffee? The fudge is sold in any amount the customer desires, from a single piece to several pounds. For Valentine’s Day, Mary Lou makes personalized fudge hearts and at Easter, personalized fudge bunnies.

During the months of November and December, fruit baskets and gift baskets in a variety of styles and sizes are available. Customers are welcome to customize their baskets with different items from the market, adds Mary Lou.

Customer Service

When customers are shopping in the market, the Shenots want to satisfy all their needs. “We try to create neat, attractive displays and I have to tip my hat to my mother for that,” says Rob. The family also offers recommendations on how to prepare the produce and provides some recipes.

“We try to get the customers in and out as fast as they want to be,” explains Mary Lou. “We’d like them to stay longer because then they will purchase more, but we seem to be able to tell when they are in a hurry or when they would like to linger.”

The Shenots employ 12 to 15 people in the field and about 10 to 15 more in the market. All the seasonal employees are given crash courses about the produce so they are able to answer customers’ questions with confidence.

“We try to instill in our employees that proper handling of the produce is of the utmost importance because we only want to sell the best,” explains Mary Lou. She adds that the family works side-by-side with its employees in the field and in the market, which helps employees understand how the business operates.

Planting And Production

To have a variety of fresh produce available in the market not just for summer and early fall, but for many months, requires some long-term planning. Ed begins planting sweet corn in late March or early April. The last planting of sweet corn may take place the second week of July. This extends the growing season and typically allows the farm to have sweet corn for sale long after many of their area competitors are sold out. Because the weather isn’t always cooperative in late March or early April, Ed uses Reemay covers for the first couple of plantings to protect the sweet corn against frost.

“We try to implement IPM as much as possible and stay on top of scouting the fields,” adds Rob. “We also use the practice of mating disruption in our orchards, which allows us to greatly reduce the use of [crop protectants]. We also pay attention to what insect pests are out there, such as aphids in peppers. As I scout the fields, I’m also looking for predators such as lady beetles. Every year, we spray less and less, which is a result of getting better at what we are doing.”

So what is the long-term plan for the farm? It is actually rather simple, says Rob. “I want to keep doing what I’m doing for as long as I possibly can,” he say. “Farming has always been the only thing I have wanted to do with my life. We take pride in what we do, and we try to do things right to maintain the ecosystem of the farm.”