On Friday, loyal customers lined up before the break of dawn at the entrance to Peterson’s Upland Farm in Wahiawa.

They lined up several hours early along Dole Road — some of them with lei — for just one more chance to take photos, say aloha and buy eggs from the farm, which is set to close after 114 years in business.

“It’s just a huge mixture of bittersweet,” said owner and manager Sharon Peterson Cheape. “It’s hard because it’s something that’s been in the family for so long. Wahiawa is everything to us, and even the outside community — we’ve got people who come from Kaneohe and Hawaii Kai, and I’m going to really miss talking with them, seeing them and being able to give them a good protein product.”

Cheape is the third generation of the family to run the farm founded in 1910 by her grandfather James Peterson Sr.

She spent the morning greeting the long line of customers, running in and out of the sales shack nonstop with trays of eggs. Friday was the last day for egg sales, which were limited to one tray per customer.

Since news of the closure broke in January, hundreds of customers have been lining up early, sometimes all the way to California Avenue.

Hawaii chef Alan Wong wrote a tribute column for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Crave, reminiscing about his first visit to Peterson’s Upland Farm as a kid and how it became a regular weekend trip with the family.

Cheape said she has been overwhelmed with the aloha from customers, who have been bringing boxes of manapua, jars of lilikoi butter and so many lei as they purchase their last eggs.

“We’re very sad,” said Jennifer Snow, who was waiting in her car with 5-year-old son Casey. “One of our favorite family memories is taking walks on Saturday mornings to get our eggs, with our kids. They ride their bikes or walk with us.”

Making the trip was more than just about the eggs, she said, though they are a good reason to visit weekly.

Prices for the fresh eggs are reasonable at just $5.50 for a dozen large, white eggs to $14 for a flat of extra-large brown eggs.

“The family is so kind, welcoming and generous,” Casey said. “They’ve always given the kids little extra eggs.”

Kira Kaloi, also from Wahiawa, wanted to visit to show love and support on the last day of egg sales.

“My husband’s family is from right up the street, so they’ve been coming since he was a little boy,” she said. “He’s really sad to see it go. It’s hard to believe they’re not going to be here anymore.”

Reasons for closing

Cheape, 66, whose father and uncle ran the business before her, said there were numerous factors that went into the decision to close, which resulted from much reflection.

“It was a really, really hard family decision,” she said. “You know, mainly, I am getting older. I never get to see my husband. We’re like ships passing in the night.”

She is looking forward to spending more time with family, including her three grandchildren, with another on the way. It was also time to focus more on health.

There are also external factors beyond her control, such as the higher cost of doing business, including the higher costs of goods like egg trays and cardboard. Some smaller restaurants that purchase eggs from her are also struggling with higher costs, she said.

Then there are the costs of repairing equipment and buildings, including the weathered structures that remain on the farm and give it an old-time charm.

“We’ve got the chicken house roof that we keep patching,” she said. “It leaks, equipment breaks and the cost of replacing that is not economically feasible.”

So Cheape, who once thought she would keep running the farm into her 80s like her father and uncle, will retire sooner than earlier generations of Petersons.

It has been hard work, she said, and for as long as she can remember, she has woken up at 4:30 a.m. to start the day.

Her own childhood memories include finishing her homework before 4 p.m. to get to the farm with her siblings to finish the last egg collection and other chores.

She lived by a Bible verse posted out front that says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Cheape said she will also dearly miss her crew of five workers, who are like a second family to her.

All the generations of the family still pitch in, she said, including her son, Matthew and daughter, state Rep. Lauren Cheape Matsumoto, along with their families, especially when baby chicks are born.

Matsumoto, too, felt bittersweet about the closure.

“I think I’ve cried every day the last month or two,” she said. “It’s like a member of your family. Everybody grew up with it and it’s what we’ve always known.”

She has in recent weeks received many well wishes from the public who have said how much they love the farm and how sad they are to see it close.

“It’s truly a pillar in the community,” she said, attributing much of it to her mother’s personal kindness. “My mom is a special, special person. I think half the people come just to see her. … People can feel that she genuinely cares and loves what she does.”

On the other hand, Cheape will finally have some time off, and time to attend her grandkids’ soccer games.

People should keep supporting small business and farms in Hawaii, said Matsumoto, especially in these challenging times.

“There’s many small business, small farms that are going out of business,” she said, “and we need to do more as a state to protect them and to really support them.”

The family will spend upcoming weeks winding down operations and cleaning up, but has not decided what to do with the property yet.

Though Friday was the farm’s last day selling eggs, Peterson’s will continue to sell fertilizer, T-shirts, tote bags and mugs until supplies run out.

Cheape said the farm will still offer these Tuesday and Friday, and then revise its schedule as needed, with updates posted on the website or on Instagram and Facebook.