Shady Brook Farm Selling Portion Of Property

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —Shady Brook Farm is going to get a little smaller in the future.

The popular farm —known for its annual holiday light show among other events —will be reducing its size as the Fleming family prepares to turn over the property at 931 Stony Hill Rd. to a fifth generation.

The Fleming siblings who jointly own Shady Brook Farm plan to sell about 80 acres of the 130-acre property to a partnership including DeLuca Homes, the Bucks County Courier Times reported.

The Flemings announced the downsizing on its website.

The property along the Newtown Bypass is near where DeLuca Homes is developing Prickett Preserve, which includes Bucks County's second Wegmans store.

Shady Brook Farms is a county destination, offering year-round events such as its Holiday Light Show, UnWINEd concerts, and FallFest. It also provides several fireworks shows throughout the year along with pick-your-own days for pumpkins and strawberries. The farm also includes a restaurant and shop.

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 Flemings believe the area will become a town center and they want to adapt to the changes, the Courier said.

"Our family business has been around for more than a century, and we plan to continue for many more generations. Our footprint will be a little smaller, but Shady Brook Farm is here to stay," the owners said in an announcement on the Shady Brook Farm website.

The Flemings said on their website that they will have to work with the municipalities to get zoning changes to allow for any development.

Adapting to a Changing Environment

"In preparing for the next generation, our family envisions the future Shady Brook Farm as a unique community of shops, homes, and the farm – a place where the community can work, live, and play. Our events are not only important for our business, but they are also important for our future," a statement from the family said. "We believe our events have had a positive impact on the community, and we love doing them – they are the lifeblood of our family business. If we could go back 30 years, Shady Brook Farm would have shifted to an event and entertainment-focused business even sooner."

The family said it has spent several years planning for the next generation of Shady Brook Farm.

Family businesses have a less than one percent chance that it carries from the 4th generation to the 5th generation.

"Through much analysis and discussion, we’ve decided that we need to focus on the things that we love to do, and that the community enjoys and stands to benefit from. We will maintain 50 acres, of our current footprint to preserve the Shady Brook Farm. We plan to continue leasing farmland from some of our neighbors. Moving into a more event and entertainment-focused business model will free up space and capacity for growth, allowing our family business to continue to the next generation," the family said.

The farm's roots began in Andalusia (Bensalem) in 1913 before relocating to Lower Makefield Township and transitioning from wholesale to retail and entertainment.

"Our business has thrived through its ability to continually adapt to the changing environment," the family said.