Words and photos by Xana Turner-Owens

LexFarm—short for Lexington Community Farm—is a nonprofit organization creating new food opportunities in Lexington and the greater Boston area. Dating back over 300 years, the farm was operated by multiple families before the Town of Lexington acquired it in 2009. Over the years it has been the home to various agricultural endeavors, ranging from vegetables to dairy and even hothouse flowers.

Today, LexFarm is a community-run nonprofit, having won the lease of the land from the town in a bidding contest. Its first official growing season was in 2014. In the 10 years since, it has become a haven for specialty produce, selling everything from farm shares to seedlings to freshly harvested produce through its farmstand and community-supported agriculture (CSA) harvest subscription programs.

With Board President Mary Rose Scozzafava and Executive Director Pamela Tames at the helm, the farm has developed into what it is today. The property is home to two greenhouses, sprawling fields, a farmstand and a sunflower garden. Certified organic since their third year, LexFarm and its staff are committed to reducing pesticides and managing the farmland as eco-consciously as possible.

Among the farm’s many offerings is their popular CSA. Community members can sign up for seasonal shares, offering specialized local produce options year round. Current offerings include an annual egg share, a mushroom share, a flower share, a summer fruit share, fall, spring and summer vegetable shares—and they’ve recently partnered with another local farm so they can offer a winter vegetable share as well.

In addition to the seasonal CSA programs, the farmstand operation at LexFarm runs year round. Here, they sell their own produce alongside goods from many other local food producers. LexFarm works with 40 local businesses and farms to keep the shelves stocked, and the stand ultimately functions as a test market for new businesses, giving their products a wider reach. With new organic offerings each season, produce remains the star of the show; some of their most popular offerings include strawberries, heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs and seedlings.

In many ways, the farm sustains and maintains its practices based on feedback from its members. In recent years, LexFarm has worked closely with community members to source and provide specialty seedlings and produce. Due to overwhelming demand, LexFarm began growing Asian produce that quickly became some of their best-selling inventory. From cucumber and bitter melon to wax gourds, LexFarm is dedicated to offering produce that speaks directly to their customers. In addition to selling this unique produce, they’ve also begun to offer seedlings to help families grow their own specialty produce at home. The seedlings have become massively popular, selling out almost immediately each season.

Education has been a founding principle since the transition to a community farm. LexFarm offers many programs throughout the year, including summer camps, early childhood education, weekend events and even yoga. Over 500 young people participate throughout the year, taking part in programs dedicated to fostering a new generation of nature lovers, with a deep appreciation for where their food comes from.

Accessibility is another central mission at the farm. LexFarm is committed to providing access to organically grown produce to everyone in their community, regardless of income or economic status. Executive Director Tames has worked with the MA Department of Transitional Assistance, and partnerships with organizations like Food Link have ensured that all of the produce in their farmstand is SNAP-benefit eligible, and subsidized share rates (up to 50% off) are offered to those in need. And through a generous recent grant from Cambridge Savings Bank, LexFarm is now able to offer a match program for their SNAP recipients, allowing them to double their buying power and providing consistent access to organic food.

This initiative is one of many ways that LexFarm is putting the “community” back in community farming. Through the work of their dedicated volunteers, board members and staff, LexFarm is celebrating its 10th year of community, education and accessible organic food.

LexFarm.org
52 Lowell St., Lexington