Our Mission
Through the power of locally grown food, Grandad's Farm Stop will uplift local farmers, foster the growth of our regional food ecosystem, and nurture the holistic well-being of our customers.
About Grandad’s Farm Stop
Grandad’s Farm Stop is a 100% local, direct from producer, everyday market that combines the best things about a farmers’ market and a grocery store. We operate on a consignment model in order to give 70% of every dollar sold back to the people who grew, raised, produced, or cooked the food you buy. We also have a full cafe selling the best locally roasted coffee and small batch pastries from the all best local bakeries.
We strive to be a rootstock of our community, where every visit enriches the mind, nourishes the body, and cultivates the soul.
About Patrick
My name is Patrick D. Randolph and I am the Founder and General Manager of Grandad’s Farm Stop.
In 2021, after a 10-year career in Higher Education and Student Affairs, I decided to become a farmer. While working on a small regenerative farm just outside Madison, I noticed something: we were growing more than we could sell. I remember thinking, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if there were a place where farmers could just drop off their goods and let someone else handle the sales?”
Then life threw me a curveball. My wife and I welcomed our first child, and I shifted careers once more to become a full-time dad. I have continued to work on farms when I can even as our family grew. But the idea of a year-round space to sell farmers’ goods stayed with me. And because of that, Grandad’s Farm Stop was born.
I’m passionate about small-scale farms and the stewardship these farmers show for our land. I’ve watched friends turn neglected land into vibrant ecosystems wile growing incredible food. Now, I want to give these dedicated farmers more opportunities to sell their goods and connect them directly with you.
I have big plans to strengthen the connection between farms and the community, starting with bringing the best food in the state to you.
Who was Grandad?
Grandad was my grandfather, David Lillis Barr.
Part of the Greatest Generation, he came of age during the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II. He was a lifelong farmer (his only other profession was a paratrooper during WWII) and the hardest worker I have ever known. When someone suggested finishing for the day, his answer was always the same: “Well, we can rest tomorrow. We should probably get this done.” To no one’s surprise, he would never rest tomorrow.
The only thing he loved more than working the land was his wife, my Grandmom, and their four children. My mom being his only girl.
Starting with nothing, Grandad often finished his 40-hour workweek by Tuesday noon, then put in another seventy-plus hours on the farm. He sent all four of his kids to college, was a pillar of his community, and over time built a 1,500-acre farm, working it himself until the age of 88. He finally stepped back only to care for my Grandmom as her health failed.
The last conversation I ever had with him was about the future of agriculture. About sustainability, stewardship, and what’s possible when we work with the land instead of against it.
Grandad remains a constant guide for me and my family. I wear his wedding ring as a reminder of the values he lived by: hard work, responsibility, and care for the land and the people it feeds.
I named this business after him in hopes of continuing his legacy, honoring the profession he poured his heart and soul into, and supporting the farmers who carry that work forward today.
