HOLLIDAYSBURG — A longtime local business is up for sale, but its No. 1 product — sweet corn — will still be available this summer, though in a limited supply.

Baronner’s Farm Market, established in 1950 by Bill and Richard Baronner, went up for sale in January.

According to an advertisement in the Mirror, the 1613-1625 N. Juniata St. site includes the farm market, coolers, a second level apartment, two barns and a finished parking lot.

Putting the market up for sale was not an easy decision, said current owners Bob and Kelly Baronner.

“We knew it was inevitable five years ago when we really downsized,” Kelly Baronner said.

Flooding, labor and production costs are among the reasons cited for why the Baronners decided to sell.

Bob Baronner said because of commercial and residential development, flooding has been increasing along the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in the area near their Lower Reese farm.

In addition to increased labor costs, production was getting harder.

The Baronners also had help from their son, Robert Baronner II, but he recently took a job in his field of study, geology.

“There is incredible regulatory pressure that he didn’t want to deal with,” Kelly Baronner said. “It was him, me and my husband. If one of us went down, what a predicament we would be in.”

“When my father-in-law spoke, you listened,” she said, remembering that “He said ‘you and Bob will know when to get out’ and it is time.”

The Baronners started to downsize during the last few years, preparing for an eventual exit from the market.

During the farm’s heyday — from the 1970s through the early 1990s — about 100 acres were used to grow sweet corn and the farm often sold 1,500 dozen ears of corn a day. But over the years, the acreage for growing corn was reduced to about 14.

Growing corn and selling it is not an easy task. “It is a physically demanding job and it takes its toll,” Kelly Baronner said.

The Baronners plan to continue farming on a limited basis and plan to have some sweet corn available.

If the market isn’t sold by the time the crop is ready, they’ll sell the corn at the market location in July. If the market sells, “we will do something on the farm and sell it there. It will be very limited,” Kelly Baronner said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.