New Sowers Market in Philipsburg Focuses on Fresh, Local Foods

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette .

PHILIPSBURG — The new Sowers Market recently opened on Tyrone Pike in Philipsburg, though the first plans for the market were for something very different.

The original idea, according to owner Earl Rissler, was to open a new market in the Bellefonte area.

After a lengthy search that did not yield an appropriate location, however, Rissler became aware of a property available in Philipsburg that might meet his needs.

The property was the site of the former Conklin’s Corner Antique and Gift Barn on Tyrone Pike just south of the center of town.

Rissler admitted that he was a bit skeptical at first because of the distance, but after inspecting the building and researching the Philipsburg area, he was sold. The location would be more than good enough.

“We found this building for sale online,” Rissler said, “and it was too much not to transition to the Philipsburg area. And the more we looked at Philipsburg, we realized it was a good spot for the store.”

The sale was made, and work began to remodel the building and property into Sowers Market, with an opening set for mid-summer of 2024.

The work was extensive and included having to install refrigeration and freezer equipment, a large deli area for meats, salads and cheeses, a fresh food preparation area, grocery shelves, a small cafe, checkout lines and sliding doors.

The sign out on Tyrone Pike saying “Sowers Market Opening Soon” raised the interest — and expectations — of traffic driving past until the grand opening finally happened on Wednesday, July 14.

“We wanted to sell fresh local food, dairy, produce, deli and bulk food,” Rissler said. “Initially we wanted to have a discount grocery section, and we wanted to source as locally as possible and as naturally produced as possible. That’s not possible with everything, but that’s what we like to be doing.

“I am working with a bunch of places, such as the Amish community in Westover and getting merchandise such as flowers, produce, furniture from them. They are in the process of setting up a bakery, and we also go to Belleville and Howard, getting stuff from there. And we are getting local herbs and things that do not keep well from places closer to here.

“I think that a year from now, we will have a lot more locally produced products than we do now. We actually have more now than we did when we opened.”

As you walk into the market, everything is easy to find. There is a giant deli section next to a freshly made food and sandwich section, and large coolers with refrigerated goods such as milk, yogurt, juices, eggs, cheeses, butter, franks, sausages and hams.

Directly in front of the entry is a large produce section with fruits and vegetables sourced from areas like Westover and Sinking Valley. The lists of the fruits and vegetables available is long and includes almost everything from bananas to zucchini.

There are baking supplies, a snacks and sweets section, syrups and honey, canned and jarred goods, condiments and bulk items like rice, beans, salt, flour and oats.

The deli/food preparation section has made-to-order items, coffees, ice cream and other items that can be taken out or enjoyed in the small cafe.

Finally, there is an outdoor section with furniture and fresh flowers.

“We started off with a bang,” Rissler said. “Everybody wanted to come see. Since then, it’s been steady and the business has been good. But we need to keep improving.

“We need to get some more help. We have good employees and we are in the process of hiring some new people. We are headed in the right direction. It’s just that it will take a lot of effort to improve what we are doing and get better at everything.”

Sowers Market is located at 670 Tyrone Pike, Philipsburg, and is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The market is closed on Sunday and Monday.

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