The Kauffman family is looking to say goodbye after owning Kauffman’s Market in La Grande since 2010, as the market has been put up for sale.

The bulk food, deli and gift shop located just outside of La Grande offers quality items that are hard to find in the area, said Katlin Kauffman, who, along with several members of her family, run the market.

Paul Kauffman, Katlin’s father and the owner of the store, didn’t really plan on owning his own business originally.

“We’re farmers,” Paul said. “I was working on someone else’s farm for a year and a half to two years and I was just too used to working for myself.”

Starting Kauffman’s Market, situated at 10214 Highway 82, and running the business with the family was the right move to make, he said.

“There’s six of us total,” Katlin said. “Four siblings, plus my parents.”

Katlin’s siblings have all worked at the store at one point or another. Now, she’s helping run the store with her parents and her sister.

The market portion of the store offers bulk foods and produce, she said.

“There’s also deli meats and cheese from the Amish country,” Katlin said. “We offer fresh deli sandwiches and homemade soups.”

The store is split up into three parts — a food section with baking items, bulk food and produce; A restaurant area where customers can eat their sandwiches and soups and then an upstairs area where there is a gift shop.

“Our bakery also offers pies made from scratch — we’re famous for the pies,” she said.

The bulk foods come from Pennsylvania and some items from Northern Idaho, Paul said. There’s also homemade noodles, jams and jellies and loose leaf team out of Wallowa. And local honey out of Imbler.

The items in the gift shop include many that are Amish-built including hickory-made rockers and gliders, kids’ wagons and hand-woven baskets made in Ghana.

They’re ready to move on, though. The family is originally from Ohio, where Paul had a dairy farm.

Now, they’re wanting to get back to that lifestyle and move to Michigan where his sons are.

“It’s kind of my dream,” Paul said of owning a dairy farm. “My sons are in Michigan and I’m planning to be an organic farmer.”

The family has owned the market for more than five years now, and they said the experience they’ve had in the area has been very welcoming.

“The store has done well,” Paul said. “This past year has probably been the best. The support from the community has been really good, too.”

The market has been up for sale for about six months now and they’re selling it for $450,000, Paul said.

“I couldn’t have done this without my family,” he said.

Contact Cherise Kaechele at 541-786-4234 or ckaechele@lagrandeobserver.com. Follow Cherise on Twitter @lgoKaechele.