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| Members of the Bergey family announced Friday that the farm store will reopen this fall as Bergey’s Bread Basket.
(steve earley photos / the virginian-pilot) |
By JANETTE RODRIGUES
The Virginian-Pilot
CHESAPEAKE - When Bergey's Dairy closed last summer, there was speculation about what would happen to the local landmark that had hosted schoolchildren and families for generations.
What would the family do with the farm store, buildings and land?
The answer came Friday. Members of the family announced that they plan to reopen the farm store this fall as a bakery cafe called Bergey's Bread Basket.
"We had entered into negotiations with a number of potential leasees for the store, but none of those worked out for various reasons," said Harold Bergey, one of four siblings who co-own the business. "Late last year, we decided we need to do this for ourselves."
Most of the family farm land in a rapidly developing section of the city stayed in the hands of Bergey's parents. Of the roughly 150 acres they once owned, 34 were sold off to a businessman to help settle some debts ow ed to creditors and customers.
The Chesapeake Health Department briefly suspended the company's Grade A milk permit, which was reinstated once health-code violations were corrected. Leonard Bergey, former dairy president, later closed the dairy and sold off the cows and equipment because he couldn't afford to operate the business. He declined to be interviewed for this story.
Bergey's Dairy was considered an innovator - producing and processing its own milk, selling products at its own stores and delivering door-to-door around Hampton Roads. Until it closed, it was one of only two dairies left in Virginia that produced and bottled its own milk.
The sound of jets from nearby Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field flying overhead drowned out the sound of hammers and saws Friday afternoon as four generations of the Bergey family renovated the barn-shaped farm store. Some cleaned light fixtures or sorted through old furnishings, while others cut Sheetrock and the smallest of the children rode bikes and played.
The room where the family once stored the ice cream was converted into a bakery, where an industrial oven will be installed next week.
In a few months, the family plans to offer customers an assortment of baked goods and deli sandwiches, similar to what was sold at the farm store during lunch hours before the dairy closed.
"In 2007, we'll try to bring back ice cream along with extended, full hours," Bergey said.
But the days when his family raised dairy cows and processed milk are over.
Now, the Bergeys are looking for a food supplier with good enough dairy products.
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| Bergey family members, from left, Sara Joy Clemmer, Jennifer Bergey and Lori Bergey remodel the old Bergey’s Dairy farm store. |
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Could be Good
I am happy they will open as long as they have paid back all the money they owe....
Help those Farmers!
I am glad to see that we are getting some nice homemade baked goods. Ice Cream would be awesome! I use to go to the Bergeys Dairy store weekly to get my milk, and make homemade yogurt. I use to go with my kids, and they loved getting cow tails. My kids loved being able to go to Bergeys Dairy Farm and see the animals too.
It was a sad day when Bergeys Dairy shut down! The government needs to help the farmers, and not throw out all these obstacles against them. We, the people, need good healthy food. Not a hybrid fruit or vegetable or milk grown in a labratory. The farmers need our support, and help. We need to stop making it so hard for farmers to make a living. It is vital to our well being and health to help out the farmers. Many farmers throughout the United States are selling off their land because they cannot afford to keep them and farm. Our Uncle in a small town in Norther Ohio told me that the government was paying farmers thousands of dollars to not farm their land.
I don't know what you call all the time, energy, and money the family is spending now to re-open. The old business was a dairy - that this probably why they did not sink any more money into the dying business. Nothing lasts forever.
IMHO I wish them well and hope to be able to drop in on them once they're open and sample their menu.
not the same
All the time, energy, and money the family is spending to re-open the store, why didn't they do this a year ago to help Leonard and Elsa keep alive the good thing they had instead of forcing them to close down and get out, putting them and their employees out of work and their livelihoods, closing the doors on the community face that had come forth wanting and willing to help? No more chocolate milk, egg nog? No more farm tours or farm even to browse on? No more pumpkin patch or horse-drawn wagon rides? No more cows!? They're just one more added to the mix of hundreds of bakeries and ice cream shops. We wish them luck.
Growing up with Bergey
Bergey's icecream and milk delivery will always be one of my fondest memories as a child. School children will hopefully again be able to experience the good ol' days at Bergey's again. Bergey's is where I learned where milk came from. It's sad that Mom and Pop companies are getting run out of business. At 45 I decided I wanted the country life again that I once enjoyed in Chesapeake so I moved to the mountains.
BEST WISHES
Thumbing thriugh a farm magazine nearly 20 years ago I saw a photo of some people I recognized. I looked at the story and it was Bergey Store workers. I had only been there once at the time. I live in Indiana now and can only hope their new business is a very big success. They deserve it !
Delicious endeavor
I like homemade bread and fresh maple walnut buns and i will be there when you reopen and have that great ice cream again GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FUTURE PLANS.----
Welcolme back, Bergey's
So many of us are so very happy the family is doing this. We will now continue to proudly take friends to this quaint country store. Area needed a good lunch location.
Bergeys Dairy
Bergeys Dairy turned us on to skim milk. My husband would not use skim milk under any circumstances. When he tried Bergeys he was hooked. Unfortunately we live too far away for the bake shop, but we sure do wish them well. If we are in the area we will stop by.
sweet
hello i am david or dave bergey from mancelona mi. i was reading this and was like OMG! i can go there and meet more bergey's but sadly your in virgina?
WOO HOO!
I am so happy that Bergeys will reopen! My family was bummed out when Bergeys closed! Will they use their own recipes to make their own ice cream from dairy products purchased elsewhere, or will they purchase the ice cream already made?
Awesome
This business will make enough money off of my family to never have to worry about money again. I can't wait until they open!