Loving The Good Earth FGC
It’s been almost three years since we bought the old Agway in Gardner,
years of hard work, harder changes, hot weather, too much rain, way too
little rain, supply chain difficulties, clean up, expensive dumpsters,
introspection and a huge learning curve. It’s got us thinking – how’d we get
here and where are we going?

HOW WE GOT HERE
In February of 2022, ML Altobelli came to me and asked if I’d (Jackie) take
a look at the sale prospectus for the old Agway in Gardner: the old owner,
Al, had been trying to sell for several years, and she wondered what it
would take. I got the information, and when she said it was too much for
her to take on alone, I came up with an idea. Much like The Grinch, it was
a “wonderful – awful idea.”

We should buy it as a family. (I call this my “Young Judy Garland
moment – it’s like when she and Mickey Rooney would say “Let’s have the
play in the barn!” for those of you who get the reference.)
At any rate, seven excruciating months later – because these deals can be
painful – the Altobelli Family purchased the store.

We had the same basic precept – first - this area needs this kind of store –
not some megastore – but a small, quality and customer oriented store,
where you could get assistance with your plant, pet issues and farm
animals problems, where you could buy quality pet foods, animal feed,
plants and fertilizers, someplace interested in hosting and leading
educational and fun classes: A destination that would help build a sense
of community and where, as we grow, we could help farmers and
homesteaders buy and grow better quality food at better pricing, a place we
could bring people together to learn about how connected we really are to
the land and how important it is to our own health to keep our land healthy.
So on September 13th , 2022, the only regular work day the store has been
closed, we signed on the dotted line.

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While we’re proud of the work we’ve done to get the store in acceptable
shape to us, and to better serve our patrons, we know we have miles to go
and bunches of possibilities to explore.