From Cowboy Boots to a Berry Farm: Randy Little's Second Act

After 47 years building PFI Western Store into one of the country's largest single-location western retailers, Randy Little wasn't planning an exit. But in 2021, when an unexpected purchase offer from Cavender's arrived, he recognized the moment.

"I'm very competitive," Little says. "It was going to be hard to keep that level up and keep on increasing. And I had a great opportunity to sell it."

The deal came together in about 30 days—a remarkably quick close for any business. PFI never had a single down year in sales, even through recessions and COVID-19. "It was extremely hard mentally to sell it and walk away from it. Probably because you live it, you breathe it, it's yours," Little shares. Still, he calls the timing right.

True to form, retirement hasn't stuck for Little. "My retirement is death," he says with a laugh. "I don't intend to retire until I die."

Within months after he sold PFI, a new venture found Little. Neighbors who'd created what is now Missouri Berries started to feel overwhelmed just as he found himself with more time to take on a new challenge. Little bought the farm in 2022, trading boot inventory for berries—and a steep learning curve.

If Little considered retail demanding, berry farming has proved equally consuming in entirely different ways. "It's like going back to school," he says, sharing he and his wife have learned a tremendous amount about plant diseases, soil chemistry and irrigation systems, even taking classes through the University of Arkansas and his alma mater, the University of Missouri. Little spends about 90% of his time on the farm, often doing hard labor—at 75. For him, who calls farm life his "sanity," the work feels less like a departure than a return.

There are echoes of PFI in this second act, too, especially in how Little talks about people. He credits "good people" for every success, from longtime PFI employees to the crew helping run Missouri Berries. "It never is one person; it's a team," he says. Another constant is his focus on experiences. Whether drawing crowds to PFI's famous Parking Lot Parties or welcoming families to the berry farm, Little has always understood that successful businesses are built around connection. At Missouri Berries, that looks like children sampling strawberries from the field, faces stained red with juice. "That's what you do it for," he says.

The berry farm isn't his only post-PFI chapter. Little also co-owns Adventure Seekers FlyRide in Branson and runs a 250-head cattle operation with his wife. Even a recent knee replacement hasn't changed much. Although it slowed him down, he expects to be planting this fall.

When asked if he'd do anything differently, Little doesn't hesitate. "If I had a chance to relive my life, I'd do it the same way," he says.

Then he sums up both careers with characteristic bluntness: "It's been one hell of a ride."

Biz Basics: By the Numbers

• Years in business: 4

• Berry plants: 50,000 strawberries, 6,000 blueberries and 1,250 blackberries

• Season dates: Strawberries late April through late May/early June; blueberries late May/early June through mid-July; blackberries end of June/early July through August

• Employees: 15, plus another handful during peak season