Holy cow: Wyandotte Farm Stand reopens following property dispute
Wyandotte Farm owner Michael King. Photo by Grace Ann Natanawan
A sign along North Street lets cars know the stand is now open.
Wyandotte Farm welcomes visitors with a sign.
Flower arrangements, hot honey, corn and condiments on sale at the stand.
Native peaches on display at the stand.
The Wyandotte Farm Stand building where meat products are stored in freezers. Source: Wyandotte Farm Facebook
Fresh produce at the farm stand.
Wyandotte Farm owner Michael King. Photo by Grace Ann Natanawan
A sign along North Street lets cars know the stand is now open.
Wyandotte Farm welcomes visitors with a sign.
Flower arrangements, hot honey, corn and condiments on sale at the stand.
Native peaches on display at the stand.
The Wyandotte Farm Stand building where meat products are stored in freezers. Source: Wyandotte Farm Facebook
Fresh produce at the farm stand.
MATTAPOISETT — After being shut down for almost 9 months, Wyandotte Farm Stand in Mattapoisett is once again open for business following property disputes and conflict with residential neighbors.
“I’m very happy to be doing what I love, [but] I will never be able to afford to pay back the money that we spent to get to this point. That’s how it goes,” said Wyandotte Farm owner Michael King.
The farm stand, located at 84 North Street, reopened on Friday, July 18 after months of meeting with the Mattapoisett Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to determine if the farm needed a special permit or variance to operate in a residential area.
“For six months, we were told we needed a special permit — only to be told we don’t need a special permit,” said King.
Amid property disputes with the town, King also faced additional criticism from several neighbors who live in residential properties surrounding the farm stand.
Rebecca Brosnan, who lives near the farm stand, stated that she was concerned with King’s potential plans for expansion.
“We were starting out with a produce stand, a farm stand […] now we’re moving on to almost a little eatery with picnic tables where people can sit and eat,” she said at a planning board meeting on Wednesday, June 25.
Despite the controversy, King noted that three separate attorneys affirmed that the business should “open the farm stand because [it doesn’t] need a permit.”
With this evidence provided to the board, the farm stand was finally permitted to reopen.
Planning Board Chair Thomas Tucker declined to comment on the matter.
Now that the stand is up and running again, King is selling produce such as sweet corn, mojito cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and cherries, in addition to meat products like bacon, chorizo, bratwurst, ham and pork chops. He will also make weekly appearances at the Washburn Farmer’s Market in Marion each Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“At the end of the day, it’s in the rear view mirror and we’ll probably prove 10 years from now [that the situation] has been much ado about nothing,” said King.
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