Local family farm thrives with on-site produce market

Mar. 16—The Perrys know a thing or two about farming. Their family has been doing it for generations at Perrys' Farms.

Starting on a small patch of land in Goldsby that has grown to almost 50 acres, Richard and Charlene Perry took what Richard's mother taught them, and the land she left them — originally bought in the '30s — and turned it into a successful farm with a small building for a market to sell their goods.

Charlene Perry knew she wanted to make her living off the land, even before the Norman Farm Market started. So she figured out ways to get her product to the community.

"I started out selling corn at Richard's sisters house in Norman," Perry said. "I would just run an ad in the paper saying the times I would be there. Some days I would come home with a little corn, and somedays I would come home with nothing left."

Richard and Charlene Perry married in 1969 and bought a piece of land of their own to start their life, having three children over the years.

But soon after Richard's mother passed, they took over portions of her land, with other pieces of the property going to other family members, and expanded the operation.

Once the Norman Farm Market started, the Perrys got a booth and started selling their vegetables.

"We were there the first year the market opened," Perry said. "It will be 45 summers this year that we have been selling at the market."

Over those 45 years of planting and selling, the Perrys have zeroed in on what works and what people want to buy. Making it easier to make a plan when planting their garden.

"We start with turnips and beets and radishes early," Perry said. "And we do all kinds summer squash and green beans, okra and tomatoes.

"We also have lots of varieties of pepper and the melons. Then there is all of the pumpkins and winter squashes in the fall. But right now we are getting transplants ready for other people to put in their garden."

Perry said the transplant are something they do so people can grow their own vegetables in their garden, but they also do it to make it easier to get the plants started so their customer's gardens can be successful.

"People who try to do it at home are not successful because we are happy at 70-72 degrees," Perry said. "But, I run the greenhouse around 95 degrees for pepper, and I try to keep it at 85 degrees when I am germinating tomatoes."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Perrys decided they wanted to bring the farm market to their house and decided to build a small building on the property so they could sell their goods closer to the farm.

"I had always had this idea in the back of my mind," Perry said. "So we really started thinking hard about it and by the next year, we had the building built."

Tobi Perry, who married into the family, says the building is a way for the Perrys to expand and get more product for people who want it.

"The biggest thing is getting people to come out and do their shopping with us," Perry said. "I would like to see us moving in to a full-service thing where we have more of a farm market hub where we have people bring us their product to sell for them."

And getting to that point is truly a family effort.

"Everybody shares in the duties," Tobi Perry said. "So, we have the planting that happens, which is primarily me and my husband; I do the picking in the greenhouse mostly. Then we do the picking in the field, Everyone is involved. My kids helped us plant onions this year and they help pick when they are here."

Tobi is confident that getting her kids involved in the farm will continue to help it thrive for years to come.

"My daughter has other aspirations, but my son wants to keep this going." Perry said. "He likes driving the tractor and playing the dirt."

Charlene Perry said she know that with hard work, the Farm will thrive and continue to keep her family tied to the land they love so much.

"The goal is to make it," Perry said, "Maybe not raise more, but to sell more."

Perrys' Farms is located at 937 E Center Rd. in Goldsby and is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.