Grow Food Northampton and Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust Welcome Bombeta Farms
Grow Food Northampton (GFN), in collaboration with the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC-LT), is thrilled to announce that Aoma Muma, an experienced and culturally rooted farmer, has been selected to join GFN’s community of farmers and land stewards through a community-centered land matching process. For the first time in GFN’s 15-year history, the opportunity to lease land on the GFN Community Farm has been offered together with access to housing. Adjacent to Grow Food Northampton’s 121 acre farm at the junction of Spring and Meadow Streets in Florence, the so-called “Mushroom House,” notorious for its distinctive 1970s architecture, has long been viewed by GFN organizers as a potential site of accessibly-priced farmer housing. When the two-family home came on the market in 2022, longtime GFN board member Gaby Immerman contacted NEFOC-LT, which activated existing relationships with reparations funders in the region to acquire and renovate the property, recognizing the rare opportunity to pair stable, affordable housing with long-term land access.
This effort addresses a pressing need: farmers in Massachusetts, particularly those from communities strategically marginalized by the mainstream food and farming system, face major barriers in securing both affordable housing and farmland. Extremely unaffordable housing prices combined with minimal farm income, means most of the farmers who lease land on Grow Food Northampton’s Community Farm can’t afford to live near their leased land and have to commute considerable distances. By pairing farmland with housing access, this project offers a powerful model for food sovereignty, the fair housing movement, and land justice.
This new opportunity at Grow Food Northampton was designed and offered in partnership with NEFOC-LT, whose mission is to return land to the stewardship of Indigenous, Black, and other farmers of color. This partnership reflects both organizations; shared commitment to advancing equity, food sovereignty, and ecological stewardship while fostering thriving local food systems and honoring the sacredness of land.
Following a rigorous application and review process, the Land Matching Committee, consisting of representatives from both GFN and NEFOC-LT, selected Aoma Muma for his demonstrated farming experience, entrepreneurial growth, and commitment to community well-being.
Originally from Kenya, Muma comes from a lineage of small-scale farmers and began his U.S.farming journey growing vegetables simply to feed his family. In 2011, he joined the World Farmers program in Lancaster, MA, and steadily grew his operation from a small family plot to a 19-acre commercial enterprise. Today, Muma owns and operates Bombeta Farms, with a strong presence in both wholesale and farmers markets across eastern MA.
Muma specializes in growing culturally significant vegetables such as amaranth, chinsaga, and managu, in addition to Asian and Japanese crops and locally common vegetables and pumpkins. “It’s very important that people can get these ethnic crops grown locally,” says Muma. “That way, families can keep their culture alive and teach the next generation the important food traditions that make them unique.”
Beyond production, Muma is deeply engaged in mentorship and peer learning. He credits an elder Hmong farmer as a pivotal influence and has since taken on a mentorship role himself, supporting other growers in navigating the farming landscape in Massachusetts. “Aoma Muma is more than a farmer, he is a steward of culture, a mentor to others, and a leader in the regional food system,” said Mandana Boushee, NEFOC staff member and a representative from the Land Matching Committee. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to this site and excited for what his presence will mean to the broader community.”
This initiative reflects Grow Food Northampton and NEFOC’s shared vision for equitable land access and resilient food systems. By pairing land and housing, this collaborative effort sets a precedent for how communities can address both the farmland access and housing crises, while uplifting farmers of color as essential leaders in our agricultural future.
To learn more about this project, visit: https://nefoclandtrust.org/gfn-house-farm-plot
