After a two-year return retailing produce out of the family barn in Parkrose, Joe Rossi and his daughter Gabrielle, right, have suspended the operation; however, they do plan to open Oct. 1 for winter fruit and vegetable sales, which may be their swan song.
COURTESY JOE ROSSI
After an eight-year hiatus, then a two-year return from 2014-15, Rossi Farms, in the person of Joe Rossi and his daughter Gabrielle, are again suspending produce and fruit sales at the family barn on Northeast 122nd Avenue in Parkrose. “…the economics are not there for a sustainable business model,” Rossi said in an email. He adds that although Gabrielle wanted to continue he advised her to “not waste your youth on something that can’t sustain itself.” He goes on to admit farming can be sustainable, but not without neglecting friends and family. “Looking back I would have stopped farming much earlier and when the local grocery outlets started shifting their sourcing to regional brokers.”
Rossi said they will open Oct. 1 for winter fruits and vegetables, and after that, “maybe she will try to grow past that, but I hope not.”
