Decades in North Country Farming: Meet Daniel Martin, LOPRO’S Founder

A Familiar Face, A New Venture

If you’ve bought vegetables from a Potsdam NY local farm stand any time in the last few decades, chances are good you’ve stood across the counter from Daniel Martin. He’s the kind of North Country farmer whose name just sticks - for years, his place, Martin’s Farmstand, was part of how people in this area shopped for fresh food. You didn’t just go get produce you went to Martin’s.

Then in 2024, he sold it. 

For most people, that would be the end of the story. A farmer sells his hand, and that's that. But Daniel Martin’s isn’t most people - and it turns out, he wasn’t done. He’s back with something new: LOPRO, a local farm stand St. Lawrence County shoppers are just getting to know, along with a soon-to-launch online marketplace. Different model, different names - but still the same familiar, different counter, and the same commitment to a traceable food source that made people trust him in the first place. 

This post is about who Daniel Martin is, what happened to his old farmstand, and why he decided to start over instead of simply retiring from a business he’d already built.

Who is Daniel Martin?

Daniel Martin is a longtime North Country farmer who spent decades running Martin’s Farmstand,from the 1990s until selling the business in 2024. In an interview following the sale. Martin summed up his relationship to the work simply: “I will always be a farmer, that’s who I am.“

Farming was never something he could walk away from cleanly, even while starting something new. He also continues to run Berryhill Farm, his strawberry operation, separately from LOPRO and a working farm doesn’t pause just because its owner is busy building a new business somewhere else. Crops still need tending, seasons still dictate the timeline, and weather still has the final say. According to Martin, this year’s strawberry crop is running at about two-thirds of a typical harvest - a number shaped by conditions no amount of planning can fully control - but the weather has cooperated enough that he expects a strong season regardless.

That’s the reality of a lifetime spent farming: it doesn’t come with an off-switch. Even while opening LOPRO, Martin has stayed hands-on with the land he was already working on  - because in farming stepping back for a season isn’t really an option.

What Happened to Martin's Farmstand?

In 2024, Martin sold Martin's Farmstand to Matthew Greenwood. The sale wasn't the end of the story - but it recently took an unfortunate turn: the Greenwood family announced that the farmstand would not operate for the 2026 season, citing illness, physical injury, and financial distress.

Their public statement didn’t just explain the closure - it closed with something quieter, and more generous than most business announcements bother with: "There was an abundance of joy operating the Stand and serving the local community was an honor. We hope that the other farms and stands that have emerged in the last few years continue to serve local needs."

that ‘s hard thing to write, and an even harder thing to mean. A family losing business to health and financial hardship still took the time to say, in effect: don’t worry about where you’ll get your food - someone else will be there for you. It’s the kind of statement that reflects what a local farm stand St Lawrence County  community actually depends on - not just a place to buy vegetables, but people to meet, even after they’re the ones stepping away. 

A small firm stand doesn’t run on autopilot. It runs on the health, time and finances of the people behind it - and when that runs out, it isn’t just an inconvenience for shoppers. It’s the end of years of relationships between growers and the people who bought from them.

Why LOPRO? A New Model, Not Just a New Name

 

After selling Martin's Farmstand, Martin didn't rush into a new project. He spent time camping with family in Maine, added an addition onto his home, and let himself slow down for a while - the kind of pause most people would well-earned after decades of early mornings and unpredictable harvests. But farming, as he put it, is “ who I am.” That pull back toward his work is exactly how LOPRO came to be - not a retirement hobby, but a new farm to table Potsdam NY  venture built with a few real differences from how he ran things before. 

A Partnership With Clarkson Professors

LOPRO isn’t a solo venture. It’s co-founded with Shantanu Sur and Sumona Mondal, a married couple and longtime friends of his who both teach at Clarkson University in Potsdam. According to Martin, the two approached him about helping fill a gap they saw in the local food system, and came on board as co-founders to get LOPRO off the ground. 

Their involvement goes well beyond backing - it’s what shapes how LOPRO thinks about food. Shantanu sur, a LOPRO co-founder, is an associate professor in Clarkson’s Department of Biology, with a research background that runs from cell biology and biomaterials to data-driven work on nutrition, food safety, and public health. Sumona Mondal works extensively in statistics and data science, and the two have co-authored numerous studies together applying rigorous analysis to health and environmental questions.

That academic grounding is what sets this Potsdam NY local farm apart from a typical roadside stand. LOPRO’s focus on soil analysis, harvest timing, and nutrient-rich produce isn’t marketing - it’s how career data scientists approach a problem. Martin brings decades of North Country farming; his co-founders bring an evidence-minded lens to traceable sourcing and quality. 

Martin has said the new venture is designed to let him stay involved in local farm stand St.Lawrence County  agriculture while carrying less of the workload he took on running a traditional farm market solo for decades. It’s a structural change, not just a rebrand. 

A Traceable Sourcing Philosophy

The biggest difference in LOPRO's model is how it sources what it sells. Rather than buying from anonymous wholesale channels, Martin has been explicit about wanting traceable food source relationships with every grower LOPRO works with.

"I want the produce from a traceable source," Martin said. "I want to be able to answer which lot it came from and who produced it."

In practice, that means LOPRO sources the majority of its fruits and vegetables from a trusted network of growers throughout the North Country, supplemented by produce grown in LOPRO's own garden on-site. Growers interested in a business relationship with LOPRO are encouraged to reach out directly. 

This traceability extends to how LOPRO labels what it sells. Most of its produce is grown without synthetic sprays, though not certified organic — and LOPRO marks it accordingly with a green dot on the label, telling customers plainly when something wasn't grown that way instead of leaving them to guess.

A Data-Informed Approach to Quality

LOPRO's own website describes it simply: "From soil analysis to harvest timing, every decision is guided by a single goal - to bring you the most nutrient -rich food possible."  With co-founder Sur and Mondal bringing that academic rigor, that’s more structure behind the scenes than your typical roadside stand - without losing the personal touch a small operation runs on. 

But good produce doesn’t count for much if it never reaches your kitchen, or costs too much to get there. That’s the other half of what LOPRO is building  - farm fresh vegetables priced to stay within reach, with everyday items typically running around $4-$7, backed by delivery so people aren’t limited to just whoever can make it to the stand in person. 

LOPRO isn’t a research lab, and the produce isn’t formally certified. But using real growing data to guide decisions, keeping prices reasonable, and getting traceable food source  produce to people’s doors - that’s a meaningfully different starting point than simply restocking the cheaper option available. 

What to Expect at LOPRO

 

LOPRO is located at 1289 State Highway 11B in Potsdam, on 17 acres separate from the old Martin's Farmstand property. As of the most recent update, construction was roughly three-quarters complete, with work remaining on the storefront, well, and electrical service.

 

Here's a quick side-by-side of what's changing and what isn't:

Once open LOPRO’s stand will accept both cash and cards, and the team is also building out a delivery service - with plans for doorstep delivery to select ZIP codes for a fee, alongside a full online marketplace.

Product Categories at LOPRO

Shoppers can expect a range broader than a typical seasonal produce stand, including:

• Fruits and vegetables — tomatoes, squash, peppers, greens, and berries, depending on the season

• Herbs

• Flowers

• Baked goods

• Pantry staples — pure maple syrup, raw honey, and apple vinegar

 

The honey comes from local apiaries and is unfiltered and unpasteurized, and the maple syrup is sourced from regional sugar maple groves, available in amber and dark robust varieties.

Delivery, When It Launches

While delivery details may evolve as LOPRO fully launches, current plans include:

• Delivery available two days a week — Wednesday or Saturday

• A $6 delivery fee

• A $20 minimum order

• Coverage within a 5-mile radius of Potsdam (13676)

For anyone outside that radius, or who simply prefers to see what's fresh in person, the farm stand itself remains the primary way to shop.

FAQ

Who is Daniel Martin? 

Daniel Martin is a longtime North Country farmer who ran Martin's Farmstand from the 1990s until selling the business in 2024. He is now launching LOPRO, a new farm stand and online marketplace in Potsdam, NY.

What happened to Martin's Farmstand? 

Martin sold the business to Matthew Greenwood in 2024. The Greenwood family recently announced the farmstand would not operate for the 2026 season, citing illness, injury, and financial distress.

Is LOPRO the same as Martin's Farmstand?

 No. LOPRO is a new, separate business at a different location (1289 State Highway 11B), built around a traceable local-sourcing model and co-founded with Clarkson professors Shantanu Sur and Sumona Mondal.

What makes LOPRO's sourcing different?

LOPRO prioritizes knowing exactly which grower and which lot each item came from, rather than buying through anonymous wholesale channels. Most produce is labeled with a green dot when grown without synthetic sprays.

Where and when can I shop at LOPRO? 

1289 State Highway 11B, Potsdam, NY, open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with delivery and an online marketplace planned.

Does LOPRO offer delivery? 

Yes — current plans include delivery on Wednesdays or Saturdays, within a 5-mile radius of Potsdam (zip code 13676), for a $6 fee with a $20 minimum order.

What products does LOPRO sell? 

Seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, flowers, baked goods, and pantry staples including pure maple syrup, raw honey, and apple vinegar.

Come Meet Daniel Martin at LOPRO

Decades of North Country farming don't disappear just because a business changes hands. Daniel Martin's new chapter with LOPRO is built on the same hands-on, know-your-grower approach that shaped his years at Martin's Farmstand — just with a model designed to go further. Stop by the stand in Potsdam once it opens, and see for yourself what a farmer who never really left the fields is building next.