If you have spent any time around the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market over the years, you’ve certainly come in contact with the Atkinson family, who runs Greenwood Farms. Their pork products are outstanding and are only outweighed by the quality of their customer service.
Unfortunately, the Atkinsons recently announced that they are scaling back their farming operations. The farm fell victim to rising costs of fuel and feed and an unfortunate realization that time and talent aren’t always enough to make an enterprise economically viable. They had planned to stay at the market until the end of October, but an email sent last week said that October 8 will be their swan song. No more smoky bacon, sweet grass-fed beef or free-range chickens. The Atkinsons, pioneers in the raw milk industry, have already shut down their dairy production and are no longer making milk or cheese.
Regular customers will surely miss the products from Greenwood, although the family will continue to run the farm for their own food. So stop by the booth on Saturday to say goodbye and to pick up a few things. The market will not be the same without them.
This article appears in October 2011.