Roots Country Market & Auction

What Roots Country Market & Auction does

Roots Country Market & Auction is a privately held, family-owned physical marketplace operating since 1925 in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at 705 Graystone Road. The business runs a year-round Tuesday farmers market featuring 200+ standholders across indoor areas (Areas 1-5), outdoor sections (Areas 6-9), and stand-alone buildings, offering fresh produce, farm-raised meats, baked goods, crafts, antiques, and prepared foods. Root's also operates the Root's Old Mill Flea Market (175+ antique and collectible dealers, acquired in 2005), a seasonal Saturday Flea Market (April through November), and hosts two independent weekly auctions — a poultry/equipment auction run by Graystone Small Animal Sale and a produce/flower/shrub auction run by Stover's Produce Auction.

The company generates revenue primarily through vendor stand rental fees (Tuesday flea market spaces start at $20; Saturday spaces are $10), auction commissions and site fees from the two on-site independent auction operators, and vendor registration fees for seasonal events such as the Heart of Lancaster Arts & Craft Show and the Annual Christmas Show. It serves three primary customer segments — Lancaster County residents doing weekly grocery and household shopping, PA Dutch Country tourists seeking an authentic local market experience, and antique/collectible enthusiasts — using a direct-to-consumer, foot-traffic-only model with no e-commerce, no mobile app, and on-site ATMs supporting a cash-preferred vendor mix.

The company is operated by the fifth generation of the Root/Longenecker family, with Thomas Longenecker serving as General Manager and Market Master (fourth-generation family member, in role since 1983). Marketing is conducted via Facebook pages, an email newsletter, and a website events calendar; the technology footprint is minimal, limited to a WordPress-style website, basic compliance with COPPA, CCPA, and GDPR on data collection, and a Facebook-led community presence.

Name

Roots Country Market & Auction

Legal name

Root's Country Market & Auction, Inc.

Website

https://rootsmarket.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Farmers Market & Auction Services

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (44523)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Farmers market auctions
• Flea market vendors
• Live poultry auctions
• Produce auction services
• Lancaster County marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Manheim

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Vendor Stand Rentals: Individual vendors (200+) rent spaces at the market on a per-visit basis. Pricing varies by space size and location. Vendors include bakeries, delis, butchers, produce stands, crafts, and collectibles.
2. Flea Market Vendor Fees: Tuesday flea market vendor spaces start at $20; Saturday spaces are $10 first-come-first-served with priority placement for Saturday participants.
3. Auction Commissions: Live auctions for poultry, equipment, produce, flowers, and shrubs operated by independent auction organizations (Graystone Small Animal Sale and Stover's Produce Auction). Auctions are run independently of the regular market.
4. Special Event Vendor Fees: Annual events including Christmas Show, car/truck shows, and Heart of Lancaster Arts & Craft Shows generate vendor registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Roots Country Market & Auction operates a multi-vendor physical marketplace that rents standholder spaces to 200+ independent vendors selling fresh produce, farm-raised meats, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts, and antiques every Tuesday year-round in Manheim, PA. The company also runs the Root's Old Mill Flea Market (175+ antique/collectible vendors) on Tuesdays year-round and Saturdays April-November, and hosts two independently operated weekly auctions (poultry/equipment and produce/flowers/shrubs) on Tuesdays.

Product overview

Root's Country Market & Auction operates as a multi-faceted marketplace consisting of a main Tuesday farmer's market (with indoor Areas 1-5 and outdoor Areas 6-9), the Root's Old Mill Flea Market, and a Saturday Flea Market. The company runs two distinct auction operations every Tuesday: a Poultry Auction (equipment and livestock) managed by Graystone Small Animal Sale, and a Produce Auction (produce, flowers, shrubs) managed by Stover's Produce Auction. The product portfolio is complemented by a searchable Standholder Directory of 200+ vendors and a seasonal Events Program featuring car shows, arts & craft shows, and the Annual Christmas Show.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Root's Country Market (Main Tuesday Market) A year-round Tuesday farmer's and country market at 705 Graystone Road, Manheim, PA, with indoor vendor spaces (Areas 1-5) and outdoor vendor areas (Areas 6-9) where 200+ independent local farmers and vendors sell fresh produce, farm-raised meats, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts, and antiques. Open 9am-9pm April-October and 9am-8pm November-March, rain or shine.
• Root's Old Mill Flea Market An antique and flea market at 720 Graystone Road, Manheim, PA, with 175+ vendor stands across two buildings (The Artisan Mill and The Emporium) offering antiques, collectibles, estate jewelry, household treasures, tools, and decor. Open every Tuesday year-round from 6am until dusk.
• Root's Saturday Flea Market A seasonal Saturday flea market operating April through November from 8am to 2pm at the Root's Old Mill location, with vendor spaces priced at $10 first-come-first-served and priority placement for regular Saturday vendors on Tuesdays.
• Poultry and Equipment Auction A weekly live auction held every Tuesday at the Manheim market, with equipment sale at 3pm and live animal sale at 4:30pm; receiving hours from 8am until auction ends. Operated by Graystone Small Animal Sale as an independent auction organization on Root's grounds.
• Produce, Flower, and Shrub Auction A weekly live auction held every Tuesday with produce at 1pm, flowers at 4pm, and shrubs at 6pm; receiving at 7am. Operated by Stover's Produce Auction as an independent auction organization on Root's grounds.
• Annual Special Events Program Seasonal on-site events at the market including the Annual Christmas Show (Thanksgiving weekend), Heart of Lancaster Arts & Craft Shows (May and Labor Day weekend), and the Spring Car Truck & Cycle Show. These events generate vendor registration fees and additional visitor traffic.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Graystone Small Animal SalecoreOthersIndependent auction organization that runs the poultry and equipment auction at Root's Market every Tuesday. Equipment sale at 3pm, live animal sale at 4:30pm. Contact: 717-898-0755. Receiving hours 8am until auction ends.
• Stover's Produce AuctioncoreOthersIndependent auction organization that runs the produce, flower, and shrub auctions at Root's Market every Tuesday. Produce at 1pm, flowers at 4pm, shrubs at 6pm. Contact: 717-898-0666. Receiving at 7am.
• Hess Auction GroupminorOthersNeighbor business listed on Root's website as nearby destination for visitors to Root's Country Market area.
• Evergreen GolfminorOthersNeighbor business listed on Root's website as nearby destination for visitors to Root's Country Market area.
• Graystone Ridge AlpacasminorOthersNeighbor business listed on Root's website as nearby destination for visitors to Root's Country Market area.
• Heart of Lancaster Arts & Craft ShowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual arts and crafts show held at Root's Old Mill location. Spring show in May and Labor Day weekend show. Root's Saturday Flea Market is closed on these dates. Website: hlcshow.com

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Rose Bowl Flea Market: Large monthly antique and collectibles flea market at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA operated by RGC Shows. Comparable to Root's Old Mill as a destination flea market for antiques, vintage goods, and collectibles.
• Pike Place Market: Iconic 100+ year old public market in Seattle with farmers, craft vendors, fishmongers, and specialty retailers. Comparable as a historic destination public market with vendor stalls and strong tourism appeal.
• Brimfield Flea Market: Massachusetts-based historic antique and flea market (since 1959) that operates as a destination for antique and collectible shoppers. Directly comparable to Root's Old Mill Flea Market in vendor base and destination appeal.
• Reading Terminal Market: Historic public market in Philadelphia with a similar farmer/vendor stall model. Directly comparable on offering fresh produce, meats, baked goods, and crafts in a multi-vendor hall setting.
• Lancaster Central Market: Lancaster, PA's historic public market established in the 1700s. Directly competes with Root's for Lancaster County shoppers seeking fresh local foods in a multi-vendor traditional market environment.
• Greenmarket (GrowNYC): NYC farmers' market operator managing 80+ outdoor farmers' markets. Directly comparable as a multi-vendor farmers' market operator serving as a destination for fresh regional foods.
• Shipshewana Flea Market: Indiana-based destination flea market in Amish/Mennonite country featuring produce, antiques, crafts, and auctions. Directly comparable mix of farm-fresh, antiques, and live auction activity in a similar cultural/heritage market setting.

Regional players

• Kitchen Kettle Village: Lancaster County shopping and dining destination in Intercourse, PA featuring local artisans, food shops, and event experiences. Regional peer competing for the same tourist traffic seeking an 'authentic Amish Country' experience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RootsMarket
• Xx.com/RootsCtryMarket
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/root-s-country-market-auction-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roots Country Market & Auction