DePiero’s Farm Shuts Down After 99 Years, Montvale Keeps Land for Next Generation

After nearly a century of service, DePiero's Farm Stand and Greenhouses will close its gates in Montvale, New Jersey, on Aug. 28. The town stepped in to buy the property, keeping it as farmland with spots for local gardeners.

"These final few days will be our chance to say thank you and goodbye to our property," the DePiero family announced in a statement posted to Facebook. Visitors can stop by from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the final day.

Mayor Mike Ghassali shared news of the purchase using public funds to block builders from taking over. "Today, the farm belongs to all of us," Ghassali said, per the The Daily Voice.com. "It will stay active, run by experts, with plots for neighbors to grow food and a spot to buy fresh goods."

Market changes and rising costs pushed the family to end operations. "The choice wasn't simple," they stated. "But now's the time to write a new story with our families."

Since 1924, locals have flocked to 156 Summit Ave. Fresh vegetables, plants from greenhouses, and warm bread drew Bergen County shoppers year after year. Kids made memories on hay wagons and hunting for pumpkins each fall. As news spread, memories poured out online. 

Back in 2017, part of the land went to Wegmans for a new store. Before buying, Danny Wegman, the company's chairman, visited the site. "We actually dreamed of the family still continuing to run the farm and have our store there at the same time," Wegman said, according to NorthJersey.com.

A free party starts at noon on Oct. 18 to mark this big shift. Anyone who lives, works, or owns a business in Montvale can join to look back at old times and peek into what's next.