Our Story

Paul L. Keagy Sr. grew up with his hands in the dirt. Growing vegetables on the family farm and selling produce at Lancaster’s Central Market was the family business, with a focus on homegrown tomatoes in the rich river ground near the Susquehanna River.

But in the spring of 1948, at 17 years old and recently married, Paul Senior bought his own piece of farm ground in Lancaster County – 20 acres and a tobacco shed for $3,000.

A few years later his son Paul Jr. was born, and that same year Paul Sr. roughly doubled his acreage, this time buying a nearby farm with a house. Paul could finally move his family from Millersville into the countryside that he worked every day.

With his own farm and vegetables in the fields, he branched out and began selling produce on his own. In. 1949, the Reading Fairgrounds Farmers Market opened, and Paul Sr. was one of the founding stand-holders, selling bedding plants in the spring and homegrown fruits and vegetables from Easter through Thanksgiving.

Slowly Paul expanded to new locations. Some were busy, others less so, but no matter the pace of sales, Paul Sr. was vehement in his dedication to quality customer service and fresh produce. That often meant leaving the house by 3 in the morning to have fresh produce on the stand; the farm work only began after the stands closed up in the evening, running into the night as Paul and his family tended the tomatoes, beans, peppers, and more.

Paul Keagy Jr. took over the business in 1997 not long before Paul Sr.’s passing, and he operates the business with the help of son Ryan Keagy, who has helped at the market since elementary school; Jim Risser, who has been at the market for more than 40 years; and his brother Joe Risser, who has been there for more than 25 years. Ryan has become the third-generation successor to Paul L. Keagy Produce, and this team carries the same dedication to customer service that Paul Sr. instilled in them all.

Paul L. Keagy Produce remains your source for fresh, quality produce.