Boydens Really Diversifying Up In Cambridge

My daughter was telling me that they are holding one of their reunion get togethers at Boydens in Cambridge. Diancy Montague married one of the Boyden boys and they and their sons are the ones who have the winery in Cambridge at the intersection of Route 104 and 15.

The Boyden Brothers Farm has certainly changed since I worked up in Cambridge back in the early 1950s. I met Dave Boyden when I used to go up to the Cambridge Gym to exercise and it was sometime before I realized that he was Diancy Montague's son and that George & Lucy Montague who used to live here in Fairfax on the corner of Summit View Street were his grandparents. I remember his grandfather working at Parsons Store.

The Boydens have really diversivied their farm. They were just starting their winery back in 1995. Now they are adding more.

The Boydens just converted a hay barn into a facility hall for weddings and events. The 4,000 square foot space includes a dance floor, bar, and caterer's prep area. With the high cost of fuel and feed, the Boydens say they were looking for ways to boost the bottom line.

"It comes down to trying to use what you have to work with," explained Mark Boyden. "What we're doing is a lot different than a farm in Addison County who is out in the middle of nowhere and is in a situation to milk 1,000 to 1,500 cows. Here the fields are a lot smaller, we have suburbia all around us, the ski resort up the road, it fits in better to more of the people oriented stuff."

Since opening a little more than a week ago, the Boydens say the barn is already booked for several proms and weddings this summer.

I know last fall when Maryann and I drove by, it was a truly busy place.