The Farm Stand
October 16th, 2007
The Farm Stand was a local grocery store that was where Whole Foods is now.
I remember my parents taking us here a lot when my sisters and I were young. It seemed like they always ran into someone they knew here. It’s funny how that didn’t seem to happen at other grocery stores.
Too bad something like this probably couldn’t survive in either the Franklin St, (sad) Plaza or Nobscot Plaza where there are vacant grocery stores collecting dust (among other things).
I cannot thank thank former Framingham resident, Mitch Cohen, enough for sharing this awesome video his friend took of driving down route 9.  Thanks again Mitch!
I grew up right near the Farm Stand and it was the only place we ever went food shopping. Nice memories of picking my grandmother up there when I got my drivers license. Then she would go over to Pandolari’s, the little liquor store next to the Farm Stand and buy her bottle of burgundy.
Thanks Michelle
Comment by mike — October 16, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
I remember the Farm Stand. I believe it was an A&P before that. Crap! How old am I??
Comment by Jennifer — October 16, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
I remember going there on Sundays back in the days before grocery stores could be open on Sundays and all of the aisles that contained items that they weren’t supposed to sell on Sundays would be roped off. Of course, the ropes always came down before the end of the day. I miss small grocery stores like that. Like you said, I wish they could have a store like that at either Franklin St. or Nobscot.
Comment by Karen — October 16, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
The Farm Stand! I remember that place. My mom did almost all of our grocery shopping there.
Comment by Michael — October 17, 2007 @ 12:44 am
Sounds like the video may have some more neat scenes! What year was it taken?
Comment by Dave — October 18, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
The video was taken in the spring or early summer of 1990. As Michelle can attest it’s a dizzying show (handheld out a car window, with many other cars blocking the view). There are quick partial glimpses of the old Natick Mall and Shopper’s World, maybe a few small other goodies. Michelle has the OK to post other stills if she’d like.
Reliving the experience has prompted me to purchase a camcorder mount for cars, and I’ll soon be videotaping all over town (my new town) for similar but more stable enjoyment 15-20 years down the road.
Comment by Mitch Cohen — October 21, 2007 @ 4:22 am
I’d LOVE to see old views of Shoppers’ World and the Natick Mall. Both of those places have undergone such dramatic change since 1990. Please share! 🙂
Comment by Kat — October 23, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Yeah, one of the main reasons I comb Natick and Framingham blogs is to mine for some vintage pictorial gold.
It’s so strange that having lived in Natick from 66-95 that there just seems to be such a dearth of photos/video from the golden triangle from those years. My friends and siblings collectively don’t have any.
There must be some shutterbugs out there itching to proudly display their vast collections of photos of these places… well, you have an audience here!
Comment by Nostalgio — October 27, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
The Farm Stand….I worked there while in H.S. from 1976 ~ 1980. The Package Store next door was Pendolaris, we used to wait around the corner and ask people to buy us beer on the way in !!!!! Remeber the good old days.
The pizza place in the back “Tano’s” pizza was the best except for “Famous Pizza” in Saxonville
Dave B
Comment by Dave — December 20, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
The Farm Stand, I worked there in the years before it closed, are there any other former employees that review this site? This is the only photo on the internet I can find, does anyone know if there are any other photos (interior maybe?) of the Farm Stand? The rest of the site is also outstanding, I can’t tell you the memories it has triggered. Keep it up!
Comment by Dave — January 20, 2008 @ 10:46 am
Hey Dave I worked there! How are youimaybe we know each other
Comment by Rob — March 6, 2008 @ 12:09 am
Hey Rob, email me…dtc203@hotmail.com
Comment by Dave — August 2, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
I love all the pics, and info. I grew up in framingham , we moved to Texas when I was 16. I never wanted to leave Mass!!!! I loved Nobscot Pizza. They had the best pizza, and grinders yumm!!!!! I wonder if I know anyone of you guys?
Comment by Jani — May 16, 2009 @ 10:38 am
The Farm Stand was where I got my very first job. I walked there from home (Lilian Road) 3 times a week after school. I didn’t work there very long, but every day I’d take my little break and go around back to Tano’s for pizza that I bought with MY OWN MONEY. I was so proud of that. Ah, memories.
Comment by Charles Copeland — July 19, 2010 @ 9:20 pm
Woah, I worked at The Farm Stand so long!
When I worked at Raytheon and was being background-checked for a security clearance, the folks who did the checking even went looking for Crystal Condakis, the only name they could find still connected to TFS records. Since she didn’t know me from Eve, lowly cashier I was, she couldn’t say anything bad. Laugh! Don’t even know if employee records still existed at that point.
And oh, cashiering on Sundays was a pain. I could sell you Pampers or feminine products from the HBA aisle, but not shampoo. If you needed Pampers or pads on Sunday that was OK. But if you needed shampoo on Sunday you were out of luck. Should have shopped on Saturday. My kids cannot even fathom living with Blue Laws, let alone what it was like being a Sunday cashier with Blue Laws!
Comment by Esther — November 23, 2016 @ 11:20 am