
Oliver’s Farm Stand is a testament to hard work and the benefits of a local network. Ruby Hutt has built relationships with farms from across the Valley and Hilltowns with the aim to provide access to hyper local fruits and veggies for her customers. Her work maintaining a farmstand, and providing produce wholesale, is the much needed answer to a gap in the market. Boasting an extensive list of partners and farms, as well as offering products from across the Northeast region, her little farmstand represents something much larger than itself.

Ruby grew up in South Deerfield, has put in time farming tobacco and hay, and she’s worked at staples of the area such as the Deerfield Market, Wolfies, and Fairview Farm. It’s no wonder she’s got such a wide network of friends. Fifteen years ago, when she met her future husband Daniel, that network grew with his work related connections.
In August of 2016 the Hutt family grew with the birth of their son Oliver, and that December they moved to Goshen, finding their home on a 1.8 acre plot of land. Right in the center of town. Both Ruby and her husband are workhorses, the kind of folks who aren’t happy unless they’ve got something to do. Daniel works in excavation and owns his own business, but by summer of 2017, living at home with the baby, Ruby was ready for her next project.
A friend of Ruby’s had mentioned that folks used to sell corn in town, but had stopped, and Ruby saw an opportunity. This was the genesis of Oliver’s Farm Stand; a culmination of circumstances, a gap in the market, and a can-do attitude. Her first tent went up in July of 2017. It was stocked to the brim with her friend’s produce from their local farms.

Ruby Hutt
The first year was a disaster, the second year was a disaster. It’s no easy feat to start off from the ground level, but she continued to put in the work. By 2019 they were really starting to wonder if this was going to pan out. The stand wasn’t really making money, but Ruby pushed through. That summer they set up a shed, something sturdy to close up at night, and a fridge to keep important items fresh.


The first year was a disaster, the second year was a disaster. It’s no easy feat to start off from the ground level, but she continued to put in the work. By 2019 they were really starting to wonder if this was going to pan out. The stand wasn’t really making money, but Ruby pushed through. That summer they set up a shed, something sturdy to close up at night, and a fridge to keep important items fresh.
Some of her producers experienced the widespread packaging shortages, but she didn’t have to deal with major supply chain issues. Her established relationships with the farmers meant she could get what she needed when she needed it.
That year the business more than quadrupled. Ruby and Daniel knew better than to expect the same the next year, and tempered their expectations accordingly. However in 2021 Ruby still saw roughly triple the business she did in 2019, and since then the stand has continued to grow at a more reasonable rate. This success was exactly the sort of thing she needed to set Oliver’s Farm Stand on the road to success.


This level of success wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work that laid the foundation for that success. Ruby had her natural connections from working in the valley, she and Daniel had run in similar circles, and his work brought him in contact with other local farmers, so there was a default network between them. The rest of her network was built by calling farms listed in local resources, and knowing how to build trust with farmers. Ruby works with each of her farms, she doesn’t have an order sheet from a large distributor, she can’t click “reorder” on a website.

Ruby and Harrison Bardwell, Owner. Bardwell Farm, Hatfield
Most of the time her produce is picked to order, just for her. That’s a piece she’s proud of, knowing the farmers, knowing first hand where the fruit and veggies she sells was grown. It’s also the piece that attracted the attention of the local Co-op down the road.

Ruby and Lacey Arnold, Wholesale Manager. Warner Farm, Sunderland
As it happened, the farmstand through which the Old Creamery Co-op had been sourcing a great deal of local produce had made the difficult decision to terminate operations at the end of the 2023 season. With the opportunity to begin a new produce sourcing program at hand, it wasn’t a difficult decision to begin a mutually beneficial relationship with Oliver’s. Between the wonderfully convenient proximity and the complimentary mission goals, a new sourcing partnership would be a clear benefit to all parties concerned.
Here at The Creamery, we have a new way to support and promote a whole network of local producers. Over at Oliver’s, the partnership has introduced a wholesale model that has already blossomed into relationships with other local businesses.
After all her success since 2020 Ruby has wanted to give back to the community, to help support Goshen, and organizations in and around the Hilltowns. Margins in produce are slim, and the business has understandably needed to reinvest in itself, so in 2022 the Season Celebration was born. After talking with friends from Pause and Pivot Farm the ball was rolling for a fundraising celebration in the heart of Goshen. Their first year benefited the Goshen Library, the second year went to help It Takes a Village.

This year will be the third such celebration, and they are donating the event’s proceeds to the Northampton Survival center and the Hilltown Pantry. The Hilltown Pantry is a stone’s throw from Oliver’s, and often uses the Farm Stand’s yard to help distribute food to folks in need.

This event has grown each year, and this year is no different. The 2024 Season Celebration will host food trucks, a band for live music, local venders on the lawn, face painting for the kids, and more! So mark your calendars for September 14th, from 11am – 4pm. It’s sure to be a fun family event, full of seasonal delights.
But that’s not all that’s on the upcoming docket, Ruby really does not rest. They’ve been making improvements to their land with the addition of a greenhouse, a transplant from a friend’s farm after it closed. This opens the potential for spring starters. Ruby has also been pursuing grants for the expansion of the farmstand, despite their best efforts the fresh produce has garnered the attention of the wildlife, and a local bear has made it clear that a larger structure would benefit the stand’s product retention.

To that end they have procured a fantastic 12×40 future residence of the Farm Stand. This structure will house all of their existing offerings, coolers, and produce stands with a bit of room for growth. In the spirit of doing things right the first time, the shed is being insulated and wired to code, and will include a ramp to promote accessibility to the whole community. This new building could open the doors to off season offerings.

Ruby is fantastic at making the whole property prosperous, growing harvestable plants around their buildings, including a wonderful garden to augment the Farm Stand, and in recent years even adding a pig pen. The addition of pigs to the farm has a number of benefits. As the farmstand grew the compost did too, now food doesn’t go to waste, and the pigs eat like kings. They are spring pigs from a breeder in Deerfield, and will be processed in the fall by Hilltown Pork, in Granville MA. The pigs are a special breed, called Gloucestershire Old Spots, and are on the “critical” list for extinction. It’s situations like this that help keep the breed alive. Importantly they pay homage to Daniel’s childhood farm in England, as well as providing hands-on learning for Oliver’s homeschooling curriculum.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on over at Oliver’s Farm Stand. You can find them in the center of Goshen, just look for their banners on the fences. You might get to meet Ruby, she’s open and friendly, with a great sense of humor, so don’t be a stranger. And do make sure to stop in for the Season Celebration.

Otherwise you can find access to the extensive network of local produce she offers on our shelves in the produce section. We’ve got the farm names posted with each delicious offering, just look for the “local hero” signs, and we’re so happy to be able to share the bounty of our area with all of you.

Oliver’s Farm Stand
36 Main St, Goshen, MA 01032
oliversfarmstand2017@hotmail.com
(413) 265-5741
oliversfarmstand.com