Our Story
Serving local farm markets and families since 1992.
Hoboken Farms® is the only family-owned American company that has organically grown from a local, outdoor farm market concern into a beloved emerging national brand.
Play the video to hear our story:
Our Beginning
Hoboken Farms was founded in 1992 by Brad Finkel, whose family has had deep roots in Hoboken dating back to around 1895. As a teenager, Brad moved into his own apartment on Willow Avenue, driven by a passion for music. He spent the next decade immersed in the music scene, playing bass, packing trucks, posting flyers, rehearsing, gigging, and touring from Maine to Texas in a blue van. Every dollar earned went towards gas, food, and fueling his musical journey.
During this time, whenever Brad visited friends, he was always asked to bring fresh bread, mozzarella, and raviolis from Hoboken's local shops. Soon, neighbors and ex-Hobokenites who missed these local delicacies began requesting deliveries as well. Brad saw an opportunity and started a small business to meet this demand.
One of his customers, Peter Beronio, invited Brad to participate in a new farm market in Englewood, NJ. Despite not knowing what a farm market entailed, Brad took a chance and quickly sold out his products. The success continued, leading to invitations from other towns and a rapid expansion of his business.
Hoboken Farms, once a part-time endeavor, became Brad's full-time obsession. As his community grew to encompass around 800 markets annually, so did his commitment to providing nourishment and inspiration through food and family.
Brad's dedication to quality led him to create a pasta sauce using only the finest and healthiest ingredients. This "farm market to jar" sauce embodied the same values as his farm market products and helped Hoboken Farms evolve into a beloved supermarket brand.
As Brad progressed, he maintained the spirit of a hungry artist and claims everything that he knows about leading a mighty team and building a business, he learned by being in a band.