Feature

AMA project is part of Appleton Farms’ farming legacy

The oldest continually operating farm in the Massachusetts, Appleton Farms in Ipswich, Mass., is thriving today with the help of the NRCS Agricultural Management Assistance program. This farm, once on the frontier of a new England, was given as a land grant to Samuel Appleton in 1638. Now Appleton Farms is designated as one of the commonwealth’s Century Farms and has one of largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in the state.

The Trustees of Reservations (the oldest land trust in US) took over the farm from the Appleton Family in 1999. The Trustees set tandem goals for Appleton Farms: to provide education to the public and to operate a “real” farm, which they defined as an economically viable farm. A primary endeavor that they selected to achieve both of these goals was to establish a Community Supported Agriculture project.

Appleton Farms’ cropland is situated on very droughty soils. It was essential for the Trustees that irrigation water be available to have a successful CSA. Historically the fields were irrigated from the Miles River. This water source is no longer viable for the operation for a number of reasons; the river has very low flow rates especially when irrigation is necessary; and the land along the river was sold in the 1930’s so Appleton Farms no longer had access. Additionally the river is at least a half mile away and access required crossing Route 1A.

Appleton Farms and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service made a progressive plan to develop reliable irrigation water paced with the growth and success of the CSA. In conjunction with the AMA program Appleton Farms was able to install 2000 feet of underground mainline from a new well (not part of AMA) to the CSA fields. This provides drip irrigation capacity to the 15 acres of vegetables. The line was installed in spring of 2002 and the CSA had it first 100 shareholders for the harvest of 2002. In 2003 the CSA grew to 200 shares and 2004 increased again to 300 shares.

A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation and share in the benefits and risks of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season.

Appleton Farms has sold 400 CSA shares for the 2005 season. In preparation for this expansion they have planned to use an additional 10 acres of crop land. This is supported by the extension of the irrigation line into the new crop land on one end, and by extending the other end 1400 feet to a farm pond as a secondary water source. The extensions provide increased capacity to provide sufficient water to the fields and also increases the flexibility of the operation by providing capacity for overhead irrigation for crops such as sweet corn.

Farm manager Wayne Castonguay said that the CSA would not have gone forward without the capability of irrigation and the USDA planning with the AMA risk management support. So the AMA program is helping to feed 400 families who are also learning about farming, nutrition, organic methods and local agricultural issues, while the economic viability one of the oldest farms in the country has been rejuvenated.

by Kathryn Zichelle Sullivan, Soil Conservationist, Westford, Mass.

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