Five decades of family, fun and fresh, local products
To celebrate the Masstown Market’s 50th anniversary, the Jennings family created a scholarship to support and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Laurie Jennings tends to the fresh produce.
What used to be a roadside fruit and vegetable stand is now a growing local landmark that travellers within Nova Scotia can’t seem to pass by.
Owned and operated by the Jennings family, the Masstown Market is a one-stop shop for delicious and unique local products. Nestled along the Trans-Canada Highway, anyone travelling to or from central Nova Scotia is likely to pass directly by the Masstown Market, making it a popular tourist destination in the summer months. An award-winning, family owned business, the market has built its reputation around great service and fresh, local foods.
“When we started 50 years ago, we had no idea it would end up where it is today.”
This year, the Masstown Market celebrates its 50th year in business. As part of the celebration, the Jennings family sought a way to recognize their loyal customers and community who contributed to the success of the market over the past 50 years. As a lasting token of their appreciation, the Jennings’ decided to establish an endowed bursary to provide financial assistance for students at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture who aspire to start or expand a family business in Atlantic Canada. The $100,000 gift creates a legacy that will have a tremendous impact on students and the agricultural businesses that are the backbone of our region in the years and generations to come.
Eric and Priscilla Jennings outside the Masstown Market.
“The Agricultural Campus is an important economic driver in our community,” Laurie Jennings, son of Eric and co-owner of Masstown Market, explains. “We are in a position to be able to support others and we want to support those who want to encourage entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. Entrepreneurship and supporting the economy is important to our family—that’s where the Masstown Market all began.”
While the Masstown Market is highly regarded and widely recognized, it wasn’t always the local landmark it is today. The booming business began as a small farm-gate fruit stand that Eric started.
“When we started 50 years ago, we had no idea it would end up where it is today,” Eric admits.
In 1969, Eric started the Masstown Market to provide some extra income to his growing family. A crop farmer himself and recent graduate of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Eric decided to sell his crops to his community.
“My wife Priscilla and I were raising three children,” Eric explains. “I was looking for a way to make a little extra money and to share the fruits and vegetables that were produced on our farm.”
From the day the Masstown Market opened, Eric made his customers his top priority. Fifty years later, he attributes much of the market's success to listening to customer feedback. By 1973, four years after the Masstown Market opened, the market had tripled in size. Eric’s close attention to his customers may very well have been the key to the success of the growth of the Masstown Market.
“Customer experience is one the most important things to us here at the Masstown Market,” Eric says.
Not only is customer experience a top priority, family is important to the Jennings as well. To say the Masstown Market is a family affair would be an understatement. All four of Eric and Priscilla’s children played their own role in building the market to what it is today. As Eric’s children step up to build on the foundation that he laid, his grandchildren are also involved in the Masstown Market in different capacities.
Although Eric stills plays a part in the operations of the Masstown Market, it is Laurie who oversees the day-to-day operations. Like his father, Laurie operates the business on the principle of customer satisfaction. Despite overseeing business operations, Laurie can often be found on the front lines, bagging apples, stocking shelves and interacting with customers.
“Innovation begins with the day-to-day stuff,” Laurie explains. “We have to listen to our customers and adapt with how times are changing. Our priority is making decisions based on feedback from customers as opposed to increasing profitability and our bottom line. Our measure of success is attracting people to Masstown.”
