By Enrique Freed, Photos by Ethan Nguyen
Just north of Highway 36 near 161st Street sits a building that longtime Bennington residents knew as Bennington Pines. Families from the area gathered here every December to select and haul their Christmas tree home.
That same building today is Bennington Farms, a mercantile and farmer’s market owned by Jeff and Jen Vollmer that first opened on Mother’s Day weekend this year. The Vollmers have owned the property for almost six years, but it took some time to decide what they wanted to do with it. The building eventually became the inspiration for Bennington Farms, drawing on ideas they had gathered while traveling and visiting small-town mercantile stores.
“We like to travel and when we visit a new town, we always check out the mom-and-pop shops and mercantile stores. We just kind of winged it and incorporated different aspects from all the shops we have visited over the years,” said Jeff.
The Vollmers also brought their own experience into the project. Jeff owns a home improvement company in Millard, America’s Best Choice, while Jen has been a Realtor with Nebraska Realty for nearly 12 years.
Jeff adds, “Jen told us what she wanted done, and we made it happen.” And for the Vollmers, it keeps them local. “We live out here on an acreage and we hate driving into Maple for everything. So, we wanted to incorporate a little bit of everything here.”
Visitors to Bennington Farms can expect to walk in and find an array of items for purchase. “We carry everything from golf apparel, to produce, house plants and outdoor annuals and perennials; women’s clothing stuffed animals, kids’ toys, and crafts,” Jeff says. “Husker and Badger gear coming soon.”
The list continues with other items available for purchase, including groceries, gluten-free options, Fontanelle Orchard pies and juice, Erick’s enchiladas and chip and dip, R&M Meats, homemade soaps and tallows, sourdough, candles and Betty Raes ice cream. The Vollmers’ personal favorite is their own beef, which they custom-feed and have processed at the Main Street Market in Humphrey, Nebraska.
As the business continues to grow, the Vollmers also plan to listen to customers and adjust their selection based on what the community wants and uses.
“There is a lot more we would like to add, but with all good things it takes time and money. We will get there though!”
Jeff adds that supporting locally is a key area of focus for the family: “It’s very important to support local, we are not backed by a corporation with deep pockets. Everything we put into this we just cross our fingers that it works, and we get our return back. We are not just doing it for our family; we are doing it for everyone in the community.”
“We hope everyone leaves the store happy with what they took home and their bellies are full!”
Bennington Farms’ current operating hours are Monday through Friday, 12-6 p.m., and weekends, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The business plans on being open year-round, including over the holidays, as long as customers keep coming back.
