GREENFIELD — It’s the end of an era for local agriculture, as Butynski’s Farm Stand has ceased operations following the retirement of the four people in charge of it.

Brothers Paul and Mick and their respective wives, Jane and Rita, decided to hang up their hoes and took to Facebook earlier this month to break the news to customers.

“The farm is part of who we are. From our ancestors to our youngest generation, farming has brought the Butynski family so much joy. But with all of the pleasures of farming also come the challenges,” the Facebook post reads. “The days are long, literally sunup to sundown from spring through fall. The work is strenuous. An entire crop can be lost in one bad storm. A year with too much or too little rain can devastate the yield.”

The four Butynskis said the decision is bittersweet, as they are excited to enjoy some time to themselves but will miss many aspects of the work.

“Rita and I are really going to miss our customers, because we chit-chat with them,” Jane said at her home across the street from the farm.

“They’re all our friends,” Rita chimed in. “And now we all just have to learn that we don’t have to do all that work, and that’s another transition we have to make.”

Butynski Farm was founded in Montague by Mick and Paul’s grandparents, Alex and Tekla Butynski, after they immigrated to the United States. The elder Butynskis moved the farm to 370 Colrain Road in Greenfield in 1943. One of their sons, Michael, and his wife Anna, eventually took over the business, which at that time was primarily a dairy farm. The family sold off its roughly 65 cows about 25 years ago.

“It seemed like the money was coming in but it was going out. It was a lot of work to break even,” Paul said. “That’s kind of what it seemed like.”

Paul and Mick took over operations at the ages of 24 and 18 after their father died in an accident at age 51. The brothers started selling some crops from a small roadside stand. Eventually, the farm transitioned into the vegetable farm stand that has been cherished by locals for decades.

“Once we got going, it was pretty reliable,” Paul said.

The approximately 96-acre property produced various vegetables, including squash, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, melons and the farm’s famous sweet corn. Mick said some of the property will be leased.

He mentioned the farm produced a great deal of tobacco in the 1940s, with demand for cigars coming from service members fighting in World War II.

The Facebook post announcing the farm stand’s closure had received 87 comments and 202 reactions by Wednesday afternoon.

“Mick and Paul have worked in the cold, rain and blazing heat. They have never had weekends to enjoy with their families or summer vacations. And although they have loved being farmers, it is time for them to take a break,” the post reads. “Over the past few decades, we have been honored to produce fresh vegetables picked daily to sell to our community. Just as the farm has had generations of farmers, the stand has had generations of customers. We have enjoyed watching the children of our earlier patrons grow their own families. We have always said that we have the best customers and we could never thank you all enough for your support over the years.”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.