Family farm quitting egg business after 83 years, citing prices and competition

COLCHESTER, Vt. (WCAX/Gray News) - A Vermont family farm is selling its final dozen eggs after 83 years in business.

WCAX reports that Shadow Cross Farm in Colchester is calling it quits on April 1.

On Tuesday, residents were shopping at the businesses’ storefront for what could be the last few dozen eggs while swapping stories about omelets of years past.

The last few cartons were going fast.

“It’s another institution leaving us,” said Dan Carver, who lives a few minutes from the storefront. “I would grab eggs for the kids. They liked what we could make with them.”

While residents said the company would be missed, owner Rich Paquette said he’s proud of what his family built.

“It’s been really one dozen at a time,” he said.

The family has been supplying eggs to the community since 1940, but they got rid of their hens in 2000 and have since turned into a distributor. Still, the family’s eggs could be found in many stores across Vermont.

“We covered a lot of the state, even as tiny as we are,” Paquette said.

According to Paquette, the six family employees working were helping to supply an estimated 80% of eggs eaten in Chittenden County.

The family said their decision to close their doors was driven by the desire to slow down.

Paquette said he and his wife don’t feel the need to take on the challenges of the evolving marketplace, including fluctuating egg prices and competition from larger markets.

“We don’t want to continue learning new challenges. We do what we do quite well, but it’s time for us to move on into something less hectic,” he said.

The wholesale accounts have been sold to another food distributor out of South Barre, and Paquette will focus on his storage business.

Paquette thanked his loyal customers for their decades of support.

Those stopping by Tuesday said they understood but will still miss the local label.

“It’s sad to see. I’ve been living in town for 30 years, but it’s just one more change. This one, I will say for the worse, but I also understand why,” Carver said.

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