A farm that has been open for generations has decided to close its doors.
Maple View Farm & Dairy Company, located on Dairyland Road in Hillsborough, originally started off in Corinna, Maine. It was created when the first settlers arrived to the area and lasted there for decades, but, after several brutal winters, fifth-generation farmer Robert Nutter decided to move his farm south to North Carolina in 1963.
The farm thrived, and Robert Nutter and his family were able to create a successful milk company and ice cream shop. However, the current owners, Roger Nutters and Mike Strowd, have decided to sell the farm and milk company to new owners who plan to turn the farm into a vineyard.
With the milk company and farm closing, the popular ice cream shop will have to make some adjustments to its products.
“The only thing that will change is where the dairy, such as milk and butter, will come from, which will be from Simply Natural farms,” senior and Maple View employee Ella Duronio said. “The ice cream will also be made with Simply Natural milk, which might cause a slight change in the taste of the ice cream, but it probably won’t be too noticeable.”
Even though these changes are small, some Chapel Hill locals find themselves upset that the milk won’t be coming from a local farm anymore.
“It seems like something Chapel Hillians cherished is all of a sudden being changed,” senior Olivia Warner said. “I think people might be sad that [Maple View products won’t] be locally sourced anymore. It doesn’t feel as special.”
Though some might be disappointed about the change, Duronio is confident that the business will still continue to thrive.
“What made Maple View special was that the dairy was sourced locally and that the farm was so close to the shop. It is making people sad that the dairy won’t come from the farm anymore, but the ice cream shop will stay mostly the same, which is what really matters to most people,” Duronio said.
Senior Jadyn Malawski is proof of this point. The small change to the ice cream shop doesn’t bother her as long as the view the store provides is the same.
“I think it will be different at first, but we’ll grow and adjust, and I think we all will still be happy as long as we get to see pretty sunsets,” Malawski said.
Even though the farm itself may be closing down, Maple View still represents an important part of Chapel Hill to many people.
“I like the sense of being directly involved in the community and in something that has been a very special part of the town and its traditions for a long time,” Duriono said.
