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.
  

  

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