In February, Middlebury lost the two-year-old Farmers Diner, which closed due to sluggish trade, according to owner Tod Murphy. “We couldn’t get enough traction in getting people to understand the value of paying $1 more for breakfast with eggs sourced from down the road,” he said at the time. Apparently they couldn’t keep their traction in Quechee, either: The Farmers Diner there closed last week. Murphy was unavailable to comment.

This article appears in Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2011.

Corin Hirsch was a Seven Days food writer 2011 through 2016. She was also a dining critic and drinks columnist at Newsday from 2017 to 2022, and contributes to The Guardian, Wine Enthusiast and other publications. She’s spoken often on colonial era...