Shaw Farm Dairy Barn Rebuilding Project

On behalf of myself, Laurie Shaw Baker, Sarah Shaw Pratt, Julie Shaw, and Mary Jane McArdle we ask that you take a moment to read our story..

On March 14, 2023, at approximately 1:15PM, Shaw Farm experienced one of life’s unexpected challenges. At the height of the nor’easter the dairy barn collapsed with the entire dairy herd inside. Thankfully, no staff members were hurt. Sadly, we did lose some of our animals. We are extremely grateful to everyone who came to our aid that afternoon including our staff, family, fellow farmers, neighbors, friends, and the Dracut Police and Fire Departments.

The financial challenge to go forward with this rebuilding project, while continuing to operate with our dairy herd living on other farms, will be enormous. Never in the 115 year history of Shaw Farm has there been a bigger challenge. Standing in front of news cameras in the midst of the devastation, Warren Shaw said “The farm will remain open for business. You know what it means is we are going to have to be on our toes to keep moving," Shaw said. "We'll have milk for sale tomorrow here at Shaw Farm and ice cream and all of that, because we cannot afford to be shut down. So the cows are going somewhere else to be milked and we will keep moving."

The outpouring of support has been overwhelming and has touched the hearts and lifted the spirits of everyone here at Shaw Farm. We are so fortunate to live in a community where neighbors help neighbors and a business like Shaw Farm is considered an integral part of the fabric of the Town of Dracut.

We will rebuild our dairy barn and that process is underway! We appreciate every offer of support and wanted to provide a mechanism for people who have expressed an interest in making a donation. All funds raised will be used to support the increased operational expenses and rebuilding costs. At the completion of the rebuilding project, any remaining funds will be donated to the Dracut Food Pantry.

In addition to donating through Go Fund Me, there are many ways you can support Shaw Farm:

To view a pictorial history of Shaw Farm, please click here: https://www.shawfarm.com/pictorial-history.html