Otis is Family
By Sandy Balayan
August 2025
It’s a hot steamy night. The line forms and snakes through the inside of the new Blueberry Hill Farm stand on Reservoir Rd across from Pine Road. People of all ages are waiting for their turn to buy meat, sweet corn and blueberries (to name a few of the fresh farm choices), maple syrup, honey and of course, to get a scoop of their favorite ice cream, which is sourced from the Gran-Val Scoop in Granville, MA. No one leaves empty-handed and the ice cream provides a sweet and yummy summertime treat.
Blueberry Hill farm stand. Photo: Sandy Balayan
The brain child of Jake Tonlino, who is working along with Dave Ripley from Maple Corner Farm in Granville, have made their dream come true in providing a new and exciting business in Otis that will hopefully help the revitalization efforts to attract more businesses to town. “Everything is either grown by Dave or me, and everything else is sourced from Otis and surrounding Massachusetts towns. It is an effort to build community and support other farm products also,” says Jake. Born and raised here, Jake is part of the Crittendon/Coffey family and he’s not going anywhere. “I have two children who are growing up right here in Otis and will carry on the family traditions we hold dear. Brooke (age 14) and Tyler (age 11) help out when they can.” Dave’s kids, Abbey, Cate and Lilie are also dedicated workers. It’s a true family affair.
Arrays of fresh produce and maple syrup. Photo: Sandy Balayan
Jake added 200 blueberry bushes to his property which already had some natural blueberry bushes growing. He has plans to plant more. Dave has two acres of blueberries at his farm. The farm stand has plenty of seating and encourages people to come and hang out amidst the natural beauty of the surrounding woods. Jake also harvests pumpkins and timber on the property. Dave’s family started Maple Corner Farm in 1812 and they are well known in the area for their cross country skiing trails, their pancakes and very own syrup, hay, blueberries and grass fed beef. So the farm stand is just another achievement for the two men who already have busy day jobs, Dave at his farm and Jake at Tonlino and Sons Crushed Stone.
“My vision was to have a gathering place where people can come and buy their farm products, have ice cream and sit comfortably with friends and neighbors,” says Jake. If the crowd I saw there when I interviewed Jake and Dave is any indication, they are on the road to success. We wish them continued growth and hope to see our community gathering at this new business.
Arrays of fresh produce and maple syrup. Photo: Sandy Balayan
Right now the stand will be open Friday-Sunday 12-8:30, and Wednesday and Thursday from 5-8:30. Check Facebook or Instagram to confirm. By the way, the farm stand provided ice cream free of charge to close to 100 runners under 16 years of age at the Smile Like Jack 5k/10k Fun Run on July 12th. They really are all about our community. Thank you for working hard to help Otis maintain the family supportive atmosphere Otis is known for.
