Discovering Growing Minds Farm Stop

Downtown Madison Farm Stop and Coffee

Photo Credit to Lindsay Holley with the Madison Main Street Program

There’s a lot going on at the Growing Minds Farm Stop – and it isn’t all about food.

In the two months since the business opened at 602 W. Main St., the high school students who work there have learned about retailing, but they’ve also learned a lot about their customers, and vice versa.

Customers coming to the colorful retail space want to find out all about the young Madison Consolidated High School students behind the counter – why they work there, what their plans are after high school, what their goals are.

“All of the customers are so personable,” commented apprentice project manager Lilly Cox. She said they will go to each employee in turn, asking about them. “They are looking for a good connection. And if you make a good drink for them, they will hunt you down the next time!”

Photo Credit to Lindsay Holley with the Madison Main Street Program

Customers come to the 1,895-square-foot store seeking a range of locally produced food from high quality vendors. They want it available at convenient hours, throughout the week. Farm Stop is giving them that. Hours are 1-6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 1-7 on Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

All employees are MCHS students. Seven of them work throughout the week, and six more work when they don’t have sports or other activities. “Our schedules are super flexible. They don’t have to choose this or sports,” Lilly said. Two of the seniors work from noon to 4 p.m. as part of a co-op program where they get school credit as well as getting paid wages.

For many of the student employees, this is their first job. They are learning the skills of customer service and business management, as well as agriculture. “I want all of our employees to be knowledgeable enough to know how a product was grown,” Lilly said. Customers will ask if it is GMO or if it was organically grown. Employees work with the vendors as they drop off products throughout the week. There are currently 12 vendors, all operating within 200 miles of Madison. Lilly has a goal of 50 vendors.

Photo Credit to Lindsay Holley with the Madison Main Street Program

Lilly herself is a 2025 MCHS graduate, currently enrolled in an agriculture associate degree program at Ivy Tech. She earned a business administration certificate from Ivy Tech during her high school years. She was part of the group of girls who conceived the idea for the program, working with Laura Arico of Madison Youth Unlimited.

John Schutte, College and Technical Education (CTE) coordinator for Madison Consolidated Schools, was on board from the beginning. He explained to The Madison Courier earlier this year that Growing Mind Farm Stop is a school program, but is also a non-profit that operates as an individual business. John is present at the Farm Stop to supervise, but he stresses that the students really do run it themselves.

Lilly leads a management team made up of six senior student employees who meet on Monday to continue assessing the business.

Photo Credit to Laura Hodges

The store’s product lines shift throughout the year, naturally. This fall, customers can expect to see more winter squash, eggplant and meat products. Lilly hopes to eventually bring in dairy products, which are hard to source in southeastern Indiana. There will be more non-food choices too. Cub Industries, another career program at MCHS, will have a rack of products produced by welding and engineering students, for example. “We’re not just food!” Lilly said.

There may be more fun events – such as the recent visit by MCS third graders who each got to purchase a pumpkin from Dugan Hollow Farms. Farm Stop is carrying Dugan Hollow Farms’ apples this fall as well.

Photo Credit to Lindsay Holley with the Madison Main Street Program

Main Street construction has made access to the store and parking a bit challenging the last few weeks, but there has always been a way for customers to reach the store if they are willing to park on Third or Vine streets. The helpful Farm Stop employees have even been known to help carry heavy purchases, like pumpkins.

Photo From Growing Minds Farm Stop Facebook Page

Also on the horizon: more offerings from the café. Coffee and non-coffee drinks are available now, but MCHS culinary classes may begin using the on-site commercial kitchen to prepare ready-to-cook meals to stock Farm Stop’s refrigerator section.

“Every week we have something new – literally!” said Lilly.

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