Casi Long owns and operates Kolb’s Farm Store in Spring City, Chester County. Kolb’s Farm Store has been in business for nearly fifty years and processes milk from the fifty cows on the farm. Casi sells milk, ice cream, eggs and a wide variety of other local food products in her store. Kolb’s has been a loyal partner with our charitable food network in southeastern Pennsylvania, working with Share Food Program and the Pottsville Cluster of Religious Communities for almost five years, and they recently started working with Chester County Food Bank in 2023.
Casi Long shared, “Working with the food bank has provided Kolb’s another market for our farm fresh milk and created a stronger connection with our community. Our partnership with the food banks has allowed Kolb’s to get our product and brand message into more homes than we could reach on our own. Kolb’s sales to the food banks have helped ensure that we won’t have excess product or any food waste. We love working with the food bank and getting our fresh products to neighbors in Chester and Montgomery counties!”
Catie Mahoney, Director of Food Access and Education for the Chester County Food Bank, reflected, “In our recent county wide needs assessment, neighbors shopping at food cupboards shared that dairy, specifically milk, is one of the top five items they look for during their visit. By both partnering with Casi and utilizing PASS funding, we are able to ensure neighbors have access to high quality, local dairy on a regular basis.”
Patrick Druhan, Director of Procurement for Share Food Program, stated “Kolb’s Farm Store has been great in serving the needs of our customers in Western Montgomery County. The pantries and their customers love the quality and freshness of the milk they receive weekly. Suburban sprawl is making local farming difficult, and we were really happy to learn that Casi purchased this family business to keep it operating. She has been excellent to work with, and she understands the needs of our mutual customers and the important role she plays in sustaining their health and well-being. I urge everyone to visit their store and see all the wonderful local products they stock.”
Casi and Kolb’s Farm Store have had a great experience working with the charitable food network. “I would encourage other producers to work with food banks on their programs to procure local food products as they provide an opportunity to grow your business, help build a greater connection in your community, and expose your products and brand to more people,” said Casi. “I hope to continue my work with the food bank and grow our relationship to get more farm-fresh products to families in need. Our relationship helps bridge the gap from producer to consumer.”
Learn more about and follow Kolb’s Farm Store on social media:
For more information on how to get involved, contact Tom Mainzer, Director of Agricultural Partnerships, at [email protected] or call 717-257-9850.
Learn more about Feeding Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Partnerships at feedingpa.org/agricultural-partnerships.