I thought I was seeing things.
Then this.
And this...
Jane and Paul's farm is a local institution of sorts. I always thought they were a little expensive but you could always count on finding high quality produce and prepared products. Pickles and pies and stuff like that.
They always had the very *best* in pick your own strawberries. Jane and Paul's was a destination for many in greater Boston. People would drive here from miles and miles away and the place was mobbed during strawberry season.
We've been coming here picking strawberries for longer than I can remember. And as soon as strawberry season is over it's ... blueberry season!
Then of course it's corn season. Last year the very first of the real local (rather than say..from 80 miles away) corn came from Jane and Paul's farm. It wasn't the best but it was very very good and it was dependable.
Before you knew it came harvest season.
It's shocking because Jane and Paul's was one of the more prominent and successful basic farm stand operations. Some places around here have resorted to starting petting zoos and running kiddie trains through their orchards to stay alive.
More than anything else though I just *hate* seeing elements of country life disappear.
The property is priced such that no farmer would ever make a living from it. I'm sure within a year there will be 50 houses there. This is prime luxury McMansion country out here.
I'm very lucky. I still have a farm stand within walking distance of my home. A family operation that's renewed their commitment to their business just this season as a matter of fact. They have all new signs and they've opened earlier than ever before selling flowers and seedlings. Oh and this year they're going to have fresh duck eggs for sale!
Sad to see this sort of thing, but you can't blame them if they want to get out of agriculture. It's a hard life, 24/7. We actually have laws here, prohibiting some agricultural properties being sold for anything but farming. I guess that's our way of ensuring there is food on the table. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have zoning laws here where you have "agricultural property" in exchange for a reduced tax rate but I'm not at all sure how those things apply during the sale of a property.
DeleteFarming is a hard life - more of a calling I think and no you can't hardly blame them. I'd more than likely go for the money!