What is A Farm Stop?
A farm stop is a new kind of grocery store, built to work for both the people who grow our food and the people who eat it.
It combines the convenience of a modern grocery store with the values, transparency, and quality of buying directly from local farmers and producers. Open year-round, a farm stop makes local food part of everyday life, not just a weekend trip.
At Grandad’s Farm Stop, shelves are filled by nearby farms and food makers. Seasonal produce, meat, dairy, eggs, and pantry staples come directly from the people who grow and make them, at prices they set, and at margins that allow them to take their businesses where they want them to go.
Why It Matters
Wisconsin, like every state, is losing small and family farms at an alarming rate. The farms that persist are losing markets and opportunities to sell their goods. Farm Stops exist to strengthen local food systems and a way to combat these negative trends.
They keep food dollars circulating locally, support ethical and sustainable farming, and give customers confidence that their grocery purchases benefit their community.
In short, a farm stop is: A grocery store built around fairness, transparency, and local relationships where community comes first, and good food is accessible every day.
That’s the idea behind Grandad’s Farm Stop.
How It Works
Grandad’s Farm Stop operates primarily on a consignment model:
Farmers and producers retain ownership of their products
They set their own prices and deliver on their schedules
They receive 70% of every dollar sold
The remaining 30% supports Grandad’s Farm Stop staff and overhead
Prices typically align with farmers markets or local co-ops while giving small and medium sized businesses the opportunity to sell at a brick and mortar establishment.
More than a Store
A farm stop is not just a place to buy food, it is a community hub built around local food. It’s where:
Food is treated with respect
Farmers are visible, not hidden
Customers understand where their food comes from,
Customers know exactly how their food was grown,
Customers learn as much as they want about their food
Local dollars stay local
Staff is knowledgeable, approachable, and treats everyone like community
Relationships matter as much as transactions
Grandad’s Farm Stop will never feel like the sterile experience we have come to expect from our routine grocery runs. Everything we do, we do to grow the local food economy, strengthen small agriculture, and create a community around local food.