By: Stefanie Steger
Antique shops, tractors on the road, the smell of fresh manure, and farmland seen for miles is what you will find in the small community located outside of Eugene, Oregon. Development has taken place to bring an old historic town back to life. A retail nursery store owned by Jennifer and her husband, Chad Egge, opened in 2017. This store is located in the heart of Coburg and used to be an old and worn out building. It was destined to remain abandoned and without life until Chad had the vision of renovating the entire structure. The new building is now called Farmfancy and is the dream of the Egge family.
Jennifer Egge is not just a business owner, she is an artist and a nature lover. Jennifer says, “Gardening is who I am. I love to be outside and it is very good therapy. I have been doing this my entire life and it’s a great feeling to help people with their yards.”
Chad grew up farming land in Coburg. Like many small towns across America, locals fear that development will alter the unique character of their town. Although Farmfancy is part of the improvements in the community, Jennifer and Chad have opposing views of the development. Jennifer believes the development brings people and business to the little community but Chad tends to have a difficult time accepting that the growth will not have an adverse impact on the quality of the farmlands.
Jennifer grew up working at nurseries in Bend, Oregon. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she moved to Coburg to start a new chapter. Jennifer then met the new love of her life, Chad Egge. The rundown building in downtown Coburg always caught Chad’s attention and he eventually purchased the property. Jennifer said, “Chad found the building meaningful. I think he wanted to save it. The building was a complete mess when we bought it but my husband had no problem fixing it.” Ever since Jennifers big move to Coburg, everything has fallen in place perfectly. Jennifer mentioned how her creative skills fit well with gardening. This hobby made her realize that she needed to open a nursery of her own to share her beautiful creations with others. After purchasing the property, the couple later agreed on opening Farmfancy to follow Jennifer’s dream of owning a nursery.
Jennifer is excited for the future of her new business. She believes a bakery may be added to Farmfancy but the Egges have no plan on expanding to more than one location. Jennifer loves the farm town she lives in with her family and she and her husband hope the development does not completely change their unique town.