Emmett Close
Gallagher Close Farm History
It’s an exciting time to be a farmer. Innovation in farming is expanding at a remarkable rate. Modern farming technology is changing how food is grown, manufactured, distributed, and sold to the consumer. Engaged patrons of good cuisine are moving away from monoculture food production to specialized craft agriculture producing healthier traditional food.
Gallagher Close Farm is built on strong agrarian traditions. Our roots go back many generations to our ancestors in the British Isles who left their homes for a better life in America.
The Close family arrived in the New World in 1640, eventually settling in a farming community in Greenwich, Connecticut. By the 1930s, descendant Emmett Close was a skillful farming innovator in Newtown, Connecticut. He diversified his small dairy operation to meet changing market conditions and the evolving needs of his customers until he retired in 1970. He was a man ahead of his time.
The Gallagher clan left Ireland in the 1850 during the potato famine. With hopes and dreams, and with empty pockets, they left a world they knew to come to a new world. They were starting from scratch, but the fearless immigrant drive helped them build a successful farming business in New England.
Loretta Gallagher knew the stories of her ancestors in Ireland and the problems monoculture farming can create, particularly when one strain of food is relied upon by so many. For countless Irish and the Gallagher clan the potato caused famine and death. Loretta understood that diversification of farming creates a strong foundation for the future.
At Gallagher Close Farm, we are building on the wisdom of many generations of farmers to develop our farm. This lovely property in Southern Vermont, farmed since 1768, had been dormant for the past thirty years when we acquired it in the autumn of 2016. We are regenerating the property with the teachings of the past along with new and innovative ideas in farming technology, vertical farming, diverse crops, and revival of heritage agronomy, and exploring other exciting agrarian trends.
Ultimately, we envision Gallagher Close Farm as a destination for culinary enthusiast interested in exploring cultivation in a more personal atmosphere. Our hope for Gallagher Close Farm is to become a remarkable example of the best of what farming can be.