Young Farmers Seeking Home/Land

We are first-generation, queer, working class, self-taught farmers with no inherited land, wealth, infrastructure or equipment. Currently, our rented farm fields and greenhouse structures are located in Hadley, MA. We rent over 13 acres of farmland, but we only have about 4 acres in production at any one time (we are practicing crop rotation and cover cropping, so we always rent more acreage than we "need" for production.) We are in the midst of our sixth growing season, and while we have faced many challenges over the past few years of our young business, we have built a burgeoning, education-centered business with a focus on providing our employees with year-round employment – an uncommon offering in agricultural settings.  We grow according to certified-organic and sustainable practices, and we have built a reputation throughout the Northeast for our seasonal, sustainable design aesthetic.  Our core ethos is focused on showcasing the local ecosystem, which provides us with an avenue to speak with our customers and community members about the negative impacts of the global cut-flower industry, and in turn, the importance of supporting local growers. 

What we have to offer as farmers and caretakers of the land is far more valuable and long-lasting than any real estate transaction could ever encompass: our entire lives are centered around living in reciprocity with the land.  We make intentional choices to operate our business using organic and sustainable methodologies, which automatically de-prioritizes profit as the bottom line (these methods are inherently more costly and time consuming to utilize.) Our daily investment in the land is focused on the long-term promotion and creation of a healthy, bountiful ecosystem that will far outlast our time on Earth. Our neighbors and our customers all reap the immediate benefits of our growing practices through our spray-free disease and pest control, increased organic matter in the soils, our soil-health practices which focus on carbon sequestration (a holistic approach which helps to reverse the effects of climate change), the increased presence of beneficial insects, and the sheer magnificence of our crops!

Our primary goal has always been to consolidate our farm operation and home to one location. We are renters of our home and have never been "home owners." We have been investing in infrastructure on land that we do not own for six seasons and we are eager to begin to build a home for our farm/ourselves that will eliminate the inefficiencies of running the business out of multiple locations, increase our ability to invest in our staff through long-term job development, and allow us to truly showcase the bounty of the land itself.  

We would care for our future home as stewards centering our reverence, respect and love for the land itself. Our plans would include planting acres of perennial and annual cut-flowers, and creating a place of beauty and respite for the entire community. We would ensure that the land would never be considered for development or any irreverent use. 

We have established a great community following in the Valley, but we are open to moving to the Hill Towns or even the Berkshires. Our ideal scenario is about 5 to 10 farmable acres with a great viewshed! However, more overall acreage (not necessarily "farmable") would allow us to expand our hosting capabilities for the public (the money-making portion of our work is floral design-centered, so we are looking to be able to host events on our land, i.e. design workshops, Pick Your Own events, special events, etc.)