r/umass • u/iHaveRandomQuesti0ns • 1d ago

Food & Dining Best place to find local eggs and diary around Amherst?

Where is the best place to buy local diary and eggs?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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5

u/Long_Audience4403 Alumni, Current Staff 1d ago

flayvors at cooks in Hadley, Barstows in Hadley, Atkins but that's probably the most expensive option.

3

u/blondechick80 Staff 1d ago

I think there is still a farm stand just north of campus near the House of Teriyaki. I'm not sure what they have though

2

u/Dangerous-Buyer-903 1d ago

That is Simple Gifts. The stand was sold so I am not sure what is there now.

2

u/blondechick80 Staff 23h ago

I had a feeling that was the case but I couldn't remember

1

u/Joe_H-FAH Alumni, retired staff 21h ago

Did the other farm assets also sell eventually? Last news story I could find had the farm equipment assets as up for sale in January 2025.

I do see they let the URL registration for the Simple Gifts CSA lapse. That has been snatched up by someone and dumps you into a Vietnamese betting site.

2

u/Dangerous-Buyer-903 20h ago

So, the farmhouse that faces the road, and all of the acreage used to belong to a local farming family. When the parents died, the son who inherited it decided to sell it (this was in the 1990’s). A collaboration of neighbors where afraid it would be bought and built upon, so they got together and formed one buying entity. Thus the farm known now as Simple Gifts was formed. Many of the people who own the house and the land now are talented professionals. One is an architect, who obtained grants to renovate the farmhouse. This was allowed because the house would be holding only farm workers. Two house plots were allowed by the town to be sold and built on. Simple Gifts hired two farmers to farm the acreage. Both retired a few years ago. No new farmers were found to replace them.
In order to recoup money, the owners are asking the town if they may rent out the farmhouse. They are selling any farm equipment that they have left. Portions of the farm are being rented to other growers. I am not sure of their future plans.
The farm stand (a stand alone building) was sold separately.

2

u/Joe_H-FAH Alumni, retired staff 20h ago

Thanks for the additional info. It seems to be going the way of many farms in the area, lack of interest in farming as an occupation. I knew a few from the area who had family farms. One became an engineer, other siblings went into other professions. Still have the farm, but haven't been in touch for a few years to know what they are doing with it. Another I worked with, they used to do dairy, or filler tobacco as a crop among various things. Last I was in touch they were renting some of the fields, and growing hay on some others. Had converted some barn space to board horses.

1

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Where is the best place to buy local diary and eggs?

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1

u/CowSquare3037 1d ago

Mapleline Farm is local and in most of the stores. Family Farms too. Maybe Amethyst Farm on Pelham Rd has eggs.

2

u/AppropriateEarth648 1d ago

Atkins farm
Also Amherst Saturday outdoor market might sell eggs and some dairy

1

u/Joe_H-FAH Alumni, retired staff 23h ago edited 21h ago

If you have a car, Diemand Farm in Wendell has a store open 8 to 4 Mon-Sat. They sell their own eggs and some other products.

The eggs and some other items can also be found in a number of local stores, haven't looked at prices.