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Date: 8/3/2021
GRANBY – A centuries-old farm in Granby has survived the COVID-19 pandemic and is continuing to serve the community with fresh produce, plants and baked goods.
Breezy Acres Farm on 25 Pleasant St. has been around since 1735 when the Hadley pioneers came over to South Hadley to settle Granby, which was incorporated in 1768. Owner Evelyn Hatch said it was originally called the Moody Farm, settled by the Moody family. Hatch is the third generation of her family and has been the owner since 1998.
“The farm was originally a dairy farm, but it was a beef farm when I was growing up,” she said. Hatch’s grandfather who had a large dairy operation, bought the farm in 1937 from the land bank when the farm had been foreclosed on during the Great Depression. The first greenhouse was built in 1980 by Hatch’s brother Russell, and a second larger greenhouse was put up in 2000. The farm was originally 80 acres, but now it covers 50 acres of land.
During the pandemic Hatch said customers wanted to buy locally and she felt they were apprehensive of going into grocery stores, so instead came into the smaller shops. “There was a beef shortage, so customers were buying more of the beef here at our farm than they would at the grocery store,” Hatch said. “Our business increased with COVID last year and we’re still doing pretty good.”
Though Hatch doesn’t have any big plans this year, she's working on having a Chili/ Chowder Music Festival for 2022. When speaking with Reminder Publishing, Hatch said the farm will continue to sell plants, grow their crops, sell their products and make food for sale. “If we have zucchini left, we’ll make zucchini bread. If we have extra corn, we'll make a corn and black bean salad or corn chowder, and if we have a lot of milk, we’ll make chocolate cream pies,” Hatch added. “When we have extra produce, we turn it into something great. We'll continue making good food for our farm to table bakery and deli.”
Breezy Acres Farm offers bakery items, fresh homemade deli salads and a greenhouse with flowers and bedding plants. Hatch describes the farm as “friendly, causal and relaxed”and “a place where people can come in, see someone they know and connect.”
“The most rewarding part of my job is the people that come here,” Hatch said. “When I am working in the garden I have a beautiful view.”
Breezy Acres Farm grows their produce organically, sells their own produce, other locally grown produce and local farm products. They also sell local beef from Bridgemont Farm in Westhampton, Diemand turkey pies, Outlook Farm bacon, Maple Valley ice cream, Mapleline milk and Smith Farm cheese. This summer, they're selling corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers, onions and blueberries at their farmstand.
Breezy Acres Farm’s hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. , Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Call Evelyn Hatch at 467-3276 for more info. Their farmstand remains open until Christmas.