Lines have been long all summer at the Grey Barn ever since owners Eric and Molly Glasgow announced that this would be the last summer for the farmstead.
On Sunday at the Grey Barn farmstand a ribbon of over 40 patrons lined up long before its scheduled 8 a.m. opening.
“I was stunned when I pulled in at 7:36 a.m. that I was the last car at the end of the lot,” said Meg D’incecco, who hoped to purchase some chocolate croissants before they sold out. “This feels like Lambert’s Cove on a sunny day.”
The long lines have been a familiar sight all summer long, ever since owners Eric and Molly Glasgow announced that this would be the last summer for the farmstand. It officially closes on Sept. 1.
Lines have been long all summer long.
Lines have been long all summer long.
The farm opened in a much smaller way 16 years ago. Ms. D’Incecco, who’s been a summer resident her whole life, said she remembers visiting Grey Barn when they still sold their meat through an honor system. Having witnessed the farm’s evolution, she said there is a reason Grey Barn draws such crowds.
“I live in New York City where we have access to unbelievable baked goods, but these are something else,” she said. “They are just so delicious and so well crafted.”
The Glasgows said as the closure looms, it has brought a multitude of emotions.
“Yesterday, I went in the farm stand to do some organizing, and I just started crying when I was standing [there] by myself,” Ms. Glasgow said. “On the one hand, it’s the right decision, but on the other hand, it kind of breaks your heart sometimes to know that this isn’t going to be what we’re going to be doing anymore in this way.”
Say aaaaaah.
Say aaaaaah.
Mr. Glasgow said that earlier in the summer they sold their cows to a farm in Pennsylvania, and he described the property as feeling oddly quiet since then.
In May, when they announced the decision to close, the couple said a big reason was the collapsing of the wholesale cheese market, which had taken a hit since the Covid-19 pandemic. The growing costs of labor was also a contributing factor.
Mr. Glasgow said sometimes customers see the long lines and ask if the farm is really closing.
“It’s not a marketing ploy,” Mr. Glasgow said. “We’re not a rug store that’s going to be 40 per cent off for the next 10 years.”
Gabriel and Christine Blanchette enjoy a morning moment.
Gabriel and Christine Blanchette enjoy a morning moment.
Once the farmstand closes, the Glasgows said the driveway will no longer be open to the public. They plan to continue farming since they hold rights to the agricultural land for the next 35 years, but their work will no longer be public-facing and won’t be on the same scale as before.
Mr. Glasgow said they will likely sell out of Prufrock and Eidelon soon, but their Banneker cheese could be available at Island stores for the next year.
Laura Holmes-Haddad was in line on Sunday. She said Grey Barn exposes people to agriculture in an intimate way, where customers feel better about the bacon they purchase because they have seen the pigs and know they are treated well.
Ms. Holmes-Haddad bought seven chickens from the farm during Covid-19, which are still laying fresh eggs at her home in West Tisbury. She said Grey Barn has been a gift to the Island’s year-round community.
Eric Glasgow (second from left) helps out at the register.
Eric Glasgow (second from left) helps out at the register.
“You always see people you know in line,” she said.
Dieter Eiselen, a professional football player with the Houston Texans, waited patiently with girlfriend Alexandra Lisi, whose mother has a house in Katama. The couple said they appreciate how much care the farm puts into their products.
“I think that people come because it looks nice, but then they realize that it’s a beautiful slice of the Island,” Ms. Lisi said.
Victoria Vaynberg stood in line with her kids, Hazel, Willa and Luca, who were still wearing their pajamas. The kids laughed at the guinea hens getting chased by a bunny. Ms. Vaynberg said her family tries to come to the farm at least once a week during the summer, and although it’s an early wakeup for the kids, the breakfast pastries and beautiful views are worth it.
“It’s just become such a quality and staple and so it’s really sad to hear [of the closure],” Ms. Vaynberg said. “We have to make it count while we have this little bit of time.”
After heading into the farmstand, the family emerged with a bag full of pastries and cheese. Ms. Vaynberg said she purchased one of the last packages of the farm’s ground beef.
“We’re making burgers tonight,” she said.
Comments
I'll never forget the first
Susan Bar Harbor, MaineI'll never forget the first time I tasted Japanese Milk Bread. My sister and I looked at each other in astonishment, both realizing that this was the exact recipe that my mother had baked all our years growing up. This single act of remembering endeared the Grey Barn to us for all time. And Eidelon? One of the purest pleasures I have ever experienced. Their creations have been a central part of so many shared meals and gatherings, it's hard to imagine our table without them.
I am wishing the Glasgows well on their next chapter, and sending my deep appreciation and gratitude.
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