Appendix B:
northampton resources city-owNed FarmS
priVately owNed FarmS
Already existing in Northampton are city-owned farms. The city owns the land and individuals or non-government organizations rent the land to farm.
Three known privately owned farms are selling produce locally:
Elwell Conservation Area
14 acres, small part of larger Conservation Area along the Connecticut River in the northeast corner of the district. It is currently rented by Dave Jackson of Enterprise Farms; grows a wide variety of certified organic vegetables for sale locally at farmers markets, River Valley Market co-op, and as CSA shares.
Montview Farm
3.2 acres, located in Ward 3 neighborhood adjacent to Town Farm and the Meadows. Parcel is rented by a small group of farmers, including Lisa DePiano, has been a CSA and sold at farmers markets, producing 2,000 lbs of food each year. In 2010, they will be growing food for Valley Green Feast delivery service and incubating two micro-agriculture business: a forest garden nursery business and a cut-flower CSA. Montview Farm practices permaculture, including the use of perennials, forest gardens, chickens for tilling and fertilizing, composting.
The Bleiman Property
9.5 acres total (5 acres for agriculture), is located just west of exit 18 off Interstate 91, where Potash and Dike Roads meet where it straddles the edge of the Meadows and a neighborhood. The property is hayed but not currently rented. Several constraints to farming including wetland on site, floodplain, seasonal and non-seasonal accessibility issues, dumping, mosquitoes, restrictions on permanent buildings; Bleiman Property Agricultural Plan 2009 outlines best management practices for the site.
Mineral Hills
Conservation land owned by the city of Northampton. It is approximately 240 acres, located between Northampton’s western boarder with Westhampton and Sylvester Road. The land within Mineral Hills is representative of the land in the Rural District, with ridges spanning north and south with steep east and west slopes. Dense mixed hardwood and coniferous forests cover hilltops down to meandering riparian areas between the hills. Unique features of Mineral Hills are a disbanded quarry, and seven acres of flat open field currently rented by the Parsons Family Farm. The city has expressed its interest in developing the land into a city-owned farm, but has yet to act. The city may be waiting for non-governmental leadership for developing an agricultural vision for the site.
Town Farm
Situated in the Ward 3 neighborhood and adjacent parcels in the Meadows. It is a small family farm owned and operated by Una Coy and Ben James as a chemical-free CSA.
Green Meadows Farm
Situated in the Meadows, is operated by Bill Karabaris and grows vegetables.
Szawlowski Potato Farms
Situated in the Meadows, is operated by Szawlowski family and sells a small portion of its potatoes at local grocery stores.
Hickory Dell Farm Grows and sells a variety of annuals and perennials, hanging baskets and planters, vegetable, herb and flower seeds and starts, supplies, cut flowers, ornamentals local Christmas trees and greens, and a variety of foods from local farmers.
at riSk FarmS Bean and Allard Farms The Bean and Allard Farms together are a contiguous 185-acre section of mostly flat land (3% slope or less), in the floodplain of the Mill River near the Florence town center. Historically the land has been used for a wide range of agricultural activity: growing tobacco, pumpkins, and apples, and raising hogs. Most recently, the land has been in hay and potato production. The soils are all mineral-rich, and appropriate for different types of food production, depending on the microclimates and ecological differentiation across the properties. The most prominent soils are silty loam and fine sandy loam, which flood periodically, are moderately well-drained, and are considered to be prime agricultural soils. The Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program states that these soils should be conserved for farmland. The Bean and Allard farms have recently decided to sell their land. The city of Northampton has made an offer to buy the farms and convert some of the land to sports fields. There are requests to keep most of the land as agriculture, but the details of how much land and under whose supervision are still unclear.
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