More Details On Future Of Shady Brook Farm Shared By Family

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —Shady Brook Farm will become an agritourism site.

The owners of the Fleming Family have spoken about their plans to transition the farm —a family business for more than 100 years —to the 5th generation.

Those plans include downsizing the property along the Newtown Bypass by selling 80 of its 130 acres to "a reputable, community-driven development team that would deliver new commercial and residential opportunities," the owners said.

Fourth-generation owners and siblings Dave, Paul, and Amy, plan to adapt a new business model that combines agriculture and entertainment within a smaller footprint, about 50 acres of where most of the business operations are currently located.

The business will remain mostly unchanged, and it will include new hospitality and entertainment offerings, including a restaurant, café, and wine and beer tasting rooms, featuring locally sourced food and drinks.

“We have successfully adapted to new business models for decades, and this is no different,” said Dave Fleming, co-owner. “We know there is a 1 percent chance for a family business to continue to a fifth generation. Our plan will allow us to preserve our business and make that leap successfully.”

To preserve what Shady Brook Farm is best known for in the community, the classic events will be the focus of their evolving footprint, including the Summer unWINEd Concert Series, Pick-Your-Own Crop Days, and FallFest.

The family also plans to create a new holiday light show that will be centered in the festival field area rather than a drive-through event, which will be more controlled and considerably reduce traffic.

The family hopes that the development of the 80 acres will be similar to nearby Prickett Preserve, which includes Bucks County's second Wegmans store.

The Prickett Preserve complex —which includes the Wegmans, Chase Bank, a CVS, and several other retailers, sits across Stony Hill Road from the farm. The Wegmans is expected to open sometime early next year.

The Fleming family said the 80 acres is currently zoned by right to allow warehouse storage facilities. However, the family realizes the impact warehouses can bring to a community and its surrounding roads.

Changing the current zoning will allow for more retail and commercial opportunities, including a much-needed age-targeted residential community.

“We are life-long Bucks County residents and want to see the land used for opportunities that will significantly benefit the community and surrounding townships,” said Paul Fleming, co-owner. “We envision our farm to be part of a unique community where people can work, live and play.”

The Fleming Family business has thrived through its ability to continually adapt to the changing environment.

It started in 1913 in Andalusia (Bensalem) when T. Herman Fleming started selling produce off the back of a truck. The business moved to Lower Makefield Township in the 1960s and transitioned from wholesale to a retail and entertainment model in the 1980s.

According to Amy Fleming, the next step in the family business’s journey presents an opportunity to preserve their legacy and allow them to continue serving the community.

“It’s important for people to know that we have 10 children who are part of the fifth generation, and we want to them be part of our family business any way that we can,” said Amy, co-owner. “We are committed to maintaining the business as a gathering place where families, friends, and neighbors of all ages can visit and create memories worth repeating.”