WESTFORD — A farm is back in production after 15 years with a new purpose: feeding those in need.
Meadowbrook Farm is back in production growing acorn and Waltham squash to donate to food pantries. With the help of Boston Area Gleaners the field is up and growing again.
“If you were to come here two years ago, it looked like a big soccer field, I would get out here and cut it every weekend. It looked beautiful, but it didn’t feed anybody. It didn’t help anybody,” Bob Waskiewicz, one of the farm’s owners, told WestfordCAT.
The farm received $165,354 in Community Preservation Act funding in early 2023 for renovations of the property. Funding has allowed for the installation of a new irrigation system, fencing and a shed.
“They’ve done a lot of things here and without the town of Westford this wouldn’t be happening,” Waskiewicz said. “And without Boston Area Gleaners this wouldn’t be happening.”
Boston Area Gleaners has tended to the farm. Boston Area Gleaners is a volunteer based distribution program that addresses food insecurity, on-farm food waste, and local Farm sustainability. At Meadowbrook Farm, Boston Area Gleaners helps to harvest, pack, then distribute the produce at local and Boston food pantries.
Previously, the field had been used for everything from hay to pumpkins. Using a field that has not been in food projection before promises lower disease and pest pressure. The farm uses compostable plastic mulch that can be tilled into the soil after the season is over, as well as fertilizing their crop to have a better yield.
Sustainability and conservation
Dan Kamen, Farm Manager with Boston Area Gleaners, said he chose to help with this Meadowbrook Farm because of its “great potential.” With the new fence, irrigation large plot, and fertile soil it was a worthy project to pursue.
“Walking around the field with Bob and just sticking my hand in the soil, I was like this is worth doing,” Kamen said.
Kamen said differing weather patterns due to climate change make certain vegetables such as peppers or tomatoes more difficult, but squash is easier to maintain with abrupt weather changes.
“Weather patterns where it dumps tons of rain on you really makes certain types of crop production really difficult to do successfully,” Kamen said.
Waskiewicz said that the farm has seen its share of drastic weather patterns in the past. Growing up on a farm, he said he has seen the changes over years and how it has changed since his childhood.
“Last year we had so much rain and it was terrible,” Waskiewicz said. “The weather is getting crazy, people can deny climate change, but it’s happening.”
Feeding Massachusetts
Despite concerns over climate change, the field is slated to yield an abundance of crops.
The approximately three acre field will grow between approximately 75,000 to 150,000 pounds of squash, which will be sent to the food will then go to the main partner, Greater Boston Food Bank. However, food will also go to the local Westford food pantry. The goal of the operation is to feed multiple cities and towns, distributing the vegetables to regional food banks in the fall.
“We want this legacy of feeding people and this is in conservation trust and if I drop dead tomorrow this farm is still going to be feeding people,” Waskiewicz said.
