“All good things must come to an end” ….and thus it is so as our adventure at Gold Brook Farm draws to a close. We have accepted an offer to sell Gold Brook Farm and so, with the sale of business and property, are concluding our brief but exciting tenure as innkeepers and farmers.
These past four years of playing host to a delightful parade of guests is the most rewarding experience Barbara and I have enjoyed throughout our long and varied careers. Sharing with you the fruits of our labors, both in the literal sense of produce from our fields and orchard, and figuratively through the painstaking work that has gone into restoring this stately old manor house, has brought us great joy. Providing quality lodging experiences for our guests and working the land to produce useful and profitable crops are not easy jobs. But the gratification and encouragement expressed by you, our guests, community supporters and friends, has made it entirely worthwhile. Over the course of our 7 years in Westfield, we have prospered financially, greatly expanded our circle of friends, afforded our kids the opportunity to thrive in small town America and, most importantly, we’ve come to a much deeper appreciation of what it means to be a part of a community. For this and much more, we are very grateful. … BUT… we’re not getting any younger and the aches and pains that go with keeping up with the chores have taken their toll. So, while we still have our health and a lengthy list of places to see and things to do, we’ve opted to sell the farm and lighten our workload.
I can’t tell you what’s next for us as I’m still waiting for Barbara to fill me in. In the near term, we’ll be wrapping up guest accommodations this week. In short order, we’re having an auction to liquidate the farm equipment and much of our accumulated “baggage”. It’s amazing how much stuff a family can accumulate in a relatively short period of time if you have a 7,000 sq. ft. house and 4,800 sq. ft. barn to stash things in! The on-line auction will be held on November 14th and if you’re curious to see what Barbara is forcing me to part with, you can check out the auction catalog at: <www.williamkentinc.com>
We expect to conclude the property sale in December but will likely remain in Westfield for a few months while we chart our next destination.
For B&B guest holding reservations in 2024, we have confirmed with the future owners their intention to honor those reservations. Once we get closer to the B&B business hand-off, I’m sure the new owners will be in touch with current reservation holders to confirm your reservation and they will promulgate a reservation calendar for anyone wishing to book new reservations after April 1, 2024. If you’re planning a stay at Gold Brook Farm in 2024, please check the website a month or more ahead of your travel plans to check room availability. Currently no reservations are available for dates earlier than April 1st.
Sincere thanks to all who have made this chapter of our lives so richly rewarding and exciting. Hope you will stick around for more adventures as we start the next chapter! – Ron & Barbara
