A timeline of Grow Food Northampton’s history

Summer 2009
Lilly Lombard and Adele Franks came together to create the “Grow Food in Northampton” listserv to give Northampton local food activists a means of quick, efficient communication about issues of their concern, especially farmland preservation.
Fall 2009
Upon learning that the City of Northampton signed a purchase agreement to buy the Bean Farm in Florence, MA for the purpose of creating sports fields, “Grow Food in Northampton” listserv members formed an active core that:
- Documented and publicized the “prime” agricultural soils of the Bean Farm
- Brought news of the Bean Farm purchase to the Northampton Agriculture Commission, engaging their advocacy to save the Farm
- Lobbied for an open “public process” for determining the use of the Bean Farm
- Gathered over 800 petition signatures by Northampton citizens calling for the Bean Farm to be kept primarily in agriculture
- Documented the historic value of the Bean Farm, affecting the Historic Commission position on saving the Bean Farm
- Researched the advantages of creating an APR “block” on both the Bean and the adjacent Allard Farms
- Engaged the Trust for Public Land (TPL) in the effort to save both the Bean & Allard Farms. Connected TPL to the City of Northampton’s Planning Office
- Attended +/-20 city meetings related to the Bean Farm, bringing our research and advocating our perspective
February 2010
- With a successful collaboration between TPL and the City of Northampton underway to permanently preserve the 180-acre Bean and Allard Farms, 40 core listserv activists gathered and voted unanimously to incorporate as a non-profit organization in order to purchase 121 of these acres and create a sustainable community farm. A Founding Board wass voted into office
March 2010

- Founding Board began the research and work of forming a non-profit organization. A dialogue with TPL ensued about Grow Food Northampton’s hope to buy the Bean/Allard farmland
April 2010
- Incorporated as a non-profit in Massachusetts
June 2010
-
- Filed for 501(c)3 status and secured the fiscal sponsorship of Equity Trust
- Widely circulated a Request for Proposals (RFP) to farmers interested in leasing the Bean & Allard farmland

July 2010
- Received the blessing of TPL to pursue fundraising to buy Bean/Allard farmland and bring our vision of community agriculture to life
- After receiving fundraising training, we began the first phase of our fundraising campaign
August 2010
- Following a rigorous RFP review process, we selected Jen Smith and Nate Frigard (Crimson & Clover Farm) to be the “anchor farmers” at the future Northampton Community Farm
September 2010
-
- Signed a Purchase and Sale agreement with the Trust for Public Land to buy up to 121 acres of the Bean and Allard farmland
- Launched our public fundraising campaign after raising $210,000 in 8 weeks

October 2010
- Reached our first fundraising goal of $270,500 to purchase the Bean Farm
November 2010
- Reached our second fundraising goal of $355,500 to purchase the South Field
- Became an official 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization
January 2011
- After dozens of house parties, fundraising events and grant proposals, and thousands of mailings, phone calls and personal appeals, we reached our $670,500 campaign goal to buy the entire 121 acres. Total number of contributors: 1400. Largest contribution ($94,000) comes from the City of Northampton as pre-payment of a 198-year lease of the South Field for community gardens.
New Year’s Eve, 2010/11
February 2011
- Purchased 121 acres of permanently preserved farmland from the Trust for Public Land, and the Northampton Community Farm is born
- Signed a 99-year lease with Crimson & Clover, and a 198-year lease with the City of Northampton
- Board of Directors hired Lilly Lombard to serve as its first Executive Director
May 2011
- Offered affordable farm shares at Crimson & Clover to 24 low income households, and collaborated with CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture) to provide 9 affordable shares to Northampton seniors
- Partnered with Tuesday Market to raise $12,000 to double the value of food stamps used at the local farmers market
June 2011

-
- Crimson & Clover Farm launched its first season, selling 215 shares to local community members
- Planted fertile cover-crops on the Main and South Fields in order to enhance soil quality
August 2011
- We were awarded $104,500 from the Northampton Community Preservation Fund to develop the Florence Organic Community Garden (now the Grow Food Northampton Organic Community Garden)
October 2011
- Received the Community Transformation Award by Mass. Dept. of Public Health
- Held our very first community harvest celebration at Crimson & Clover Farm

November 2011
- Along with other local conservation organizations, worked to save the Community Preservation Act in Northampton’s local election
- Applied 36 tons of local rock dust on the future Community Garden site, an organic method of enhancing soil fertility
January 2012
- Planning and development of the Garden shifted into high gear as we prepared to make 100 garden plots available in Spring 2012
Spring/Summer 2012

- Registered “pioneer gardeners” for the 110 available garden plots at the Garden
- Slow Tractor Farm signed a 3-year lease with Grow Food Northampton and grows grain for malting beer
- All registered gardeners underwent mandatory organic gardening training
- Tool shed, irrigation system, and driveway installed at the Garden
- Memorial Day–Opening Day ceremony for the Garden
- Crimson & Clover served 315 shareholders and donated thousands of pounds of food to local food pantries and soup kitchens
Fall 2012
- Crimson & Clover hosted our Community Farm Fest
- Selected Sawmill Farm to launch its “Market Plot” program
- Obtained a $15,400 grant toward youth education at the farm

2013
- The Garden doubled its size and continued its physical infrastructure build-out, adding roadways and composting outhouse
- The Giving Garden donated 1100 pounds of food to a local soup kitchen
- Crimson & Clover served 330 shareholders and continued to donate thousands of pounds of food to local food pantry
- Sawmill Farm launched its farm business growing herbs, greens & cherry tomatoes on 1.5 acres
- Mockingbird Farm became the fourth farm business at the Northampton Community Farm, grazing cattle on on the South and East Fields
- Crimson & Clover, Grow Food Northampton, and The Farm Education Collaborative teamed up to bring 500 public elementary children to the Farm on field trips to harvest beets and carrots
2014
- Completed strategic planning and hired a part-time Volunteer Coordinator
- Crimson & Clover grew to offer 370 shareholders
- Hosted a fall farm tour of public officials including US Congressman Jim McGovern
US Congressman Jim McGovern tours our farm
2015
- Senior FarmShare participants increased to 55
- Received a 3-year grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation’s Healthy Food Fund to support food access programs
- The Organic Community Garden added 50 new plots
- The Giving Garden expanded from small garden plots to 1/10-acre field
- Co-sponsored winter Seed Swap with Tuesday Market
- Hosted FarmFest in October, welcoming hundreds to Northampton Organic Community Farm for food, drink, music, and activities
2016
- Took over management of the Northampton Tuesday Market from founders Ben James and Oona Coy
- Became a MassLIFT-AmeriCorps host site and brought two MassLIFT-AmeriCorps members on board for the year
- Launched the Red Bag Program
- The Giving Garden expanded to 1/3-acre, and grew and donated over 3.25 tons of produce to local food pantries and meal sites
- In partnership with Rattlesnake Gutter Timberworks, offered a class on timber framing, and participants built a new storage shed for the Organic Community Garden
- Senior FarmShare participants increased to 70
- CT Valley Farms joined the Northampton Community Farm
- Joe Czajkowski and Lakeside Organics began leasing the East Field
- Purchased a cargo van and a cargo trailer modified for cold storage, enabling more efficient storage and transport of produce for food access programs
- Rep. Peter Kocot helped obtain funding through MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to increase field trip and in-school educational offerings