People were heartbroken that this Meridian farm stand would close. Now, it’s growing.
When Rod and Deb Wagner quietly hung a for-sale sign on their Northwest Meridian barn in January 2018, they expected calls from interested real estate developers.
“We see the writing on the wall here. We’ve just been surrounded by growth,” said Debra Wagner in a phone interview. “With Costco going up on the street, we finally decided we needed to do something with the property.”
But the Wagners decided not to go through with the sale of Wagner Farms.
The sign triggered an outpouring of support from customers. Several called and left messages asking that the Wagners maintain their local produce stand at the barn, which sits on 2.2 acres north of the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Chinden Boulevard, near the site of a future Costco.
Now, the family plans to build a 12,000-square-foot convenience store with a year-round farmers market inside, as well as a gas station with three fuel pumps.
To make way for those, the Wagners will demolish the barn, as well as their home next door Since 1982, the family has sold eggs, dairy products and locally grown produce throughout the summer there.
“We wanted to keep our farmers market going somehow,” Debra Wagner said. But the couple won’t live on the property anymore. They are thinking about moving further out into the country, away from Meridian’s growth.
Don’t expect the new convenience store to go up just yet. The farm stand will still be open this summer and possibly next, Debra said.
In the last few years, Wagner Farms has had an average of 500 customers and 25 employees each day during their peak harvest season, according to the development application. At the farmers market, the family sells produce they grow on 115 nearby acres, which were not part of the possible sale, as well as food sourced from other local farmers like berries, ice cream and mushrooms.
Rod Wagner started out growing selling sweet corn to nearby stores in the 1980s. Since then, the farm has added greenhouses and started selling melons and vegetables.
“When I moved out here with him, there was nothing here,” Debra Wagner said. “And now it’s overwhelming. They’ve just surrounded us.”
To build the convenience store, the Wagners are requesting a change to Meridian’s comprehensive plan, which calls for low-density residential development on the site, to allow for the commercial space. The City Council will host a public hearing on the request at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at the Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave.
Over 450 people signed up in support of Wagner Farms’ application to the city.
This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 6:06 PM.
