August 2018
LexTalk News from Lexington Co-op Markets
LOCAL Matters Most Draudt Farm Hamburg, NY
From the road, Draudt Farm looks like your everyday farm market and greenhouse. Tucked among houses on a fairly well traveled road in Hamburg, Draudt Farm surprisingly spans 90 acres, 25 of which are part of the original family land dating back to 1923. Today the farm
is run by father/son duo Les and Brad. Les Draudt took over the family farming operation in the 70s, selling his vegetables at local markets and at a table in front of the farm. During these years two things happened- their farm store was born and their partnership with Lexington Co-op began! The farm store story began when Les’s nieces convinced him to let them take over the table to help pay for college. They were so successful the family decided to build a permanent location in 1978. Now visitors can shop flowers, plants, veggies, and more in the store! At the same time, Lexington Co-op started up in 1971, and our buyers would head out to markets in hopes
of purchasing fresh produce to stock the shelves. Being a brand new, small operation many farmers were hesitant to give us credit. Les fondly talks about how one of his best business decisions was to take a chance on a “couple of hippes” and become one of the first farms to open an account with Lexington Co-op! Today, the Co-op sells more than 20 varieties of crops grown by Draudt Farm. You’ll see cauliflower, broccoli, corn and lettuces, beans and peppers in both stores. And you’ll also see Brad delivering their produce and helping other Southtown farms by delivering their fresh produce too. Draudt’s commitment to increasing access to fresh, local foods is one of the many reasons why we are proud to partner with their farm!