West End Creamery

In 1999, Greg and Rebecca VandenAkker opened West End Creamery, in part to honor the family dairy farming tradition, and in part out of economic reality. "Small, New England dairy farming is almost a relic of the past," says Greg. "You just can not survive operating this farm the way my parents and grandparents did. One either has to find a specialized niche market or diversify into other non-farming uses. Creating the Creamery was our way to preserve the farm and the open space that defines the rich heritage of the Blackstone Valley."

West End Creamery, an ice cream parlor and country store, pays tribute to the long history of dairy farming that began over a hundred years ago, when Greg's great-grandparents, Meindert and Willemke VandenAkker, came to the Blackstone Valley from the Netherlands, settled in the "West End" of Northbridge and went to work at Whitin Machine Works.

Their son, Joseph VandenAkker, was born in 1902, attended high school through his sophomore year, then joined his father at the Whitin Machine Works. But life in the mills did not suit Joseph, and he set out to find another occupation. He built an 8-stall barn, purchased a small herd of Holsteins, and began peddling milk.

From the late 1910's through 1968, Joe VandenAkker, along with his sons, Maynard and George, operated West End Dairy, delivering milk to Northbridge, Sutton, Uxbridge and Millville. At the height of its operation, West End Dairy comprised approximately two hundred head of cattle and three hundred acres of farmland in Northbridge and Sutton.

In 1968, West End switched to wholesale milk production and continued the dairy operation through 1987. In the 1990's, the farm was passed to the fourth generation of VandenAkkers and divided up among several family members. Greg acquired the original farmhouse, barn and a 30-acre parcel of land. "We had to make some decisions," says Greg. "One option was to sell the land to developers for housing. We didn't want to do that. So we had to come up with other ways to make the land work for us." In addition to running West End Creamery, Greg and Rebecca, along with their father George, bale hay and raise animals on their section of the farm.

They also limited the commercial development of the farm to three or four acres fronting Purgatory Road and Route 146. "We believe a balanced approach will allow us to continue the farm, limit the development to a small portion of the property and preserve the natural beauty of the area," says Greg.

While West End Creamery reflects the dairy farming tradition of the VandenAkker family, it is also an investment in the future. "The Blackstone River Valley has such a rich heritage. It's important to preserve that. One day, I hope to see my children working right here, farming this land and running the store," says Greg.