Up to 67 acres for lease in Northampton, MA

Attention: Sustainable Farmers and Farm
Education Programs


Up to 67 acres of prime farmland will soon be available for lease in Northampton, MA. Interested farmers please apply.

The non-profit organization, Grow Food Northampton, Inc. (www.growfoodnorthampton.com) has purchased 120 acres of farmland in Florence, MA to create the Northampton Community Farm. Grow Food Northampton intends to lease up to 67 acres of this land in fall 2011 and/or early 2012 to farmers who share our vision of sustainable community farming. Through our first call for applications, we selected a vegetable CSA operation, Crimson & Clover, which now occupies 37 adjacent acres of land. At this time we are seeking proposals from additional community-oriented farm operations, in particular those that complement Crimson & Clover. Leases may be long-term. Farmers will own and independently operate their businesses.

Our vision for the land includes:
• Sustainable, diversified agriculture using organic practices
• Food production for local markets
• Educational opportunities such as farmer mentoring, farm camps, community workshops, or school programs
• Community engagement such as harvest celebrations, volunteer work-days, contributions to our local food pantries, etc.

We are seeking the right farm businesses to join our project. Farmers will demonstrate extensive experience in sustainable farming, alignment with Grow Food Northampton's goals, and a strong business plan. Proposals will be accepted May 20 – August 15, 2011. To request an application and for more information, please contact Annie Sullivan-Chin, chullivan@gmail.com, (413) 336-5502.