The owners behind a staple in the Chilmark farming community and producer of famous cheeses, the Grey Barn, have announced that they will be hitting pause after the summer season, stating that the current business “model is no longer viable.”
Molly and Eric Glasgow, proprietors of the Chilmark farm, said in a message to local newspapers and to the community that the increased costs and “changing market dynamics” since the pandemic have forced them to make the decision.
“It has always been important to us that we pay living wages and offer benefits to our employees. It has also been essential to us that we do the absolute best job that we can in caring for this land and our animals,” the statement reads. “The costs of farming and cheesemaking have risen dramatically over the past few years, and raising prices again to our customers is simply untenable.”
The Glasgows, along with their farm staff, make their own organic cheeses, bottle their own certified organic raw milk, and raise pigs, cows, and chickens. They took over the farm in 2009, and revitalized what had been a working dairy until 1961, then a beef cattle operation.
Grey Barn’s cheeses are served in local restaurants, and can be found at Whole Foods Markets and a number of other locations.
In their message, Molly Glasgow said that the two need time to “pause and reflect on what our future holds.
“Sixteen years ago, we made the choice to relocate to Chilmark and to raise our family and business here, but a lot has changed, and we need to pause to figure out what’s next for the Grey Barn and for our family,” the message states. “We have looked out our kitchen windows at the pasture every morning, deep green with summer grass or covered in a deep bed of snow, nothing but silence across the expanse. We love it here. It has been an unbelievable privilege that we are incredibly grateful for, and we are so deeply appreciative of everyone who has supported us, especially all of the amazing employees we have had the opportunity to work side by side with over the years. Thank you.”
As a summer island resident, I had the pleasure of volunteering at the Grey Barn Farm several summers ago. My time working with Molly, Eric, and their staff was joyful, sometimes hard, and always in the spirit of helping the farm, it’ livestock, and it’s mission to move forward. They are great people and their farm is a great asset to our island. They, and their farm, will be missed.
Thank you again for letting me be a part of your endeavor,
Brant Weatherford
Oak Bluffs
Working with you was a pleasure Brant! It’s sad to see them close up shop.
-Asa
I would suggest getting your pretty muckboots on and going to work every morning . You think simon , dan, and prudence got up every morning to a nice cappuccino?fantasy farm .not a loss let alan Healy make hay😂
Maybe they could keep something open like the bakery? There is a great need for an up island stop for healthy foods. We the public understand cost here and are willing to pay more.
Ok, somebody has to say it, other than a handful of islanders who work there, this won’t affect the year round population to much. Very few of us can afford to shop there. Plus, I think the owners tantrum over competition from Iggy‘s bread didn’t helped their cause much. Just my opinion…
The Grey Barn makes very high quality products and is an asset to the island! Losing this from our community would be tragic. There are high quality cheeses in Europe that are a delicacy and very expensive to purchase. I would hope that consumers would support them if they have to raise their prices further. We pay a lot more today than a few years ago for chemical filled products made by large companies in even smaller sizes. I hope we can continue to buy their fine products and they reconsider!
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