04/30/2025
Saturday was a very surreal, emotional, and overwhelming day. It has taken us some time to get our thoughts, emotions and words together to write this. After spending my life at this business and completely taking it over in 2015, Saturday was a rough day to say the least.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for the support and love you have shown over the years and especially Saturday. We received pictures, gifts, notes and cards, many well wishes and LOTS and LOTS of hugs! They were appreciated more than you know. My parents, Len and Bev Tantillo, enjoyed each and every hug, smile, handshake and comment that was given and they were so proud to be there and see you all.
Saturday was more than we could have ever dreamed of! We watched from the summer kitchen and saw new friendships being created as people chatted, shared stories (and donuts!), and smiled as they waited for a new white wax bag to emerge from the kitchen. It was truly an honor to see!
We would like to apologize for the wait time that so many of you endured. We did not, in our wildest thoughts, anticipate the number of customers that would be visiting and we were a bit caught off guard. As per our standards, each and every donut was made with love and was served to you fresh & hot. We have never taken our donut making lightly and wanted your last donuts to be as delicious as the first, which earned us the title of “Best Cider Donuts in Hudson Valley” more than once. We will display the banner that so many signed, at our future pop up events and it will bring smiles to our faces as we reread the comments and names.
When we got home (at 9:15!) lots of tears were shed as we read comments on Facebook and recalled the day's events. Comments from new and old customers, little customers, past and more recent employees, and friends proved that you all will miss Tantillo’s Farm Market as much as we will. We are certain that as you drive by, memories will roll down your cheeks as they will ours, with an “I remember when….”
Without all of you we could have never achieved the notoriety we now hold and for that we thank you for your support, love and commitment to our “Little Family Farm Stand” that started humbly in 1932, with my grandparent's dream that turned into a business they would have been so proud to see. I know my parents, Len and Bev Tantillo, are forever grateful for all of you. Jamie and I will never forget the days of being up there and will truly miss the chaos, smiles, laughs and bringing up our children in the business, we really did love every minute.
We look forward to being able to do the same activities that you will miss Tantillo’s for… taking our kids & grandchildren for ice cream, fruit picking, parks, and spending weekends relaxing.
With that we say farewell for now, thank you again and we wish you all the best.
Life is Short, Eat Dessert First!
Love, Jeannine, Jamie and the rest of the Ridgeway/Tantillo crew
Please stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram pages for where you may see us pop up with cider donuts! This is also the last call to please add any photos and/or memories to our memory board and digital scrapbook https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/tjR9DGct we love to read them. The comments on social media are great, but we can't print those!