Andy’s Farm Market

from Bham Family - September 2022

Cancer gives mom a mission

Flowers, Family, Fall, and Farmers

Andy’s Farm Market celebrates 25 years in business

BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE

Back when Andy’s Farm Market first opened in May 1997, Andy and his father did all the construction on the building— with a little help from a lot of family and friends. There were three employees, all in the Burris family: Andy, his wife, Tricia, who was pregnant with their first child, and Andy’s niece Jessica.

“We only sold produce in the beginning,” says Tricia. “But we’ve since expanded to carry many local items, jams and jellies, frozen and refrigerated goods, and local honey. We sell peas and butterbeans—we shell them ourselves— shucked and creamed corn, snapped green beans, sliced squash and okra, and more.” The Andy’s you imagine in Vestavia—the Creekside Nursery location—didn’t yet exist. “He later brought in some flowers, and we sold them in the parking lot. Eventually, we built a greenhouse behind the farmers market.”

Tricia explains that, when they chose the original location on Rocky Ridge Road,

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they were looking for a freestanding building with the right demographics. “The original part of the market was an old house, and it was perfect for what we needed,” says Tricia. “We turned the garage into a walk-in cooler and expanded out front. It has been a fabulous location for us, and we have customers who have shopped with us since the beginning, 25 years ago.”

Expansion followed fairly quickly. The Creekside Nursery was built in spring 2002, with Andy and his nephew, Karl Brantley, constructing the greenhouse. (And Karl joining the family business for a few years after, as well.) By fall, they introduced a landscape division. The nursery was expanded in 2005, followed by a major renovation in 2015 and the addition of a second greenhouse. In between, a maintenance and turf division came along in 2008 and a Hoover store, a combination farmers market and garden center, opened in 2010.

“Our children—Andrea, Manon, and David— came to work with us from the beginning,” says Tricia. “Our first daughter, who was born in October after we opened, would sit in a shopping basket on the counter while we checked people out. They would all ride on the forklift with Andy when he

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would unload the truck. They grew up working there. We stuck Andrea in the middle of some pansies when she was 6 months old and used it for an ad in the paper. After that, we used our children in all our ads. They would be in the cantaloupes, watermelons, eating corn, holding flowers, in front of Christmas trees, and there was always an annual one in their Halloween costumes. Our customers would tell us they watched them grow up in the paper.”

The arrival of Covid came with a slight silver lining for Andy’s: The entire family worked. “The children had to move home after their schools closed,” says Tricia. “We had not yet reopened the farmers market for spring, but we saw the need in the community and decided to get it opened quickly. We hadn’t hired employees for the market, so, our family—along with the longtime manager of that location—opened up and worked. It was an extremely stressful and uncertain time, but the openair environment was welcomed by our customers, and they were very appreciative of us being there.”

While Covid brought back the Burris kids, Andy’s has always been a place for family. “We’ve had several nieces and nephews work for us,” says Tricia. “We hire as young as 14, so numerous middle and high schoolers have worked for us over the years. Some have been here for 10-plus years; our longestrunning employee has been with us 22 years. They’re all like family to us.”

As Andy’s embarks on its 25th fall, customers can expect the same great service and variety of produce and flowers, as well as landscape design and installation, maintenance, and turf services. There will be more than 70 varieties of pumpkins and gourds, cornstalks, mums, pansies, violas, and lots of fun fall decor. “We have a station set up every year where children can come paint pumpkins,” says Tricia.

Arriving soon, one of the busiest seasons of all: Christmas. “We started selling trees the first year we were in business,” says Tricia. “Over the years, it’s expanded to include services such as lighting, flocking, delivery, and set-up. Our tree service has become so popular that most of our trees are presold before they arrive. And, of course, we also carry garland, wreaths of all sizes and varieties, Christmas decor, and individually crafted mailbox saddles.”

“We have been very blessed over the years with wonderful employees and customers,” Tricia says. “Without them, we would not be where we are today.”

Find the Andy’s location nearest you at andysgardencenter.com.