Volunteers Picking Rocks in the Big Field
JUST ROOTS RECEIVES LEASE ON GREENFIELD’S OLD TOWN POOR FARM
The Greenfield Town Council offers a unanimous vote, Wedenesday August 17th; issuing a 15 year lease to Just Roots to develop the Greenfield Community Farm which will bring local food to our schools, children and our under-served populations; offering affordable community gardens, CSA shares and educational programming; keeping local food in Greenfield.
Members of the Just Roots Board sat, eagerly awaiting the Town Council vote on Wednesday night, August 17thwhich, if approved, would award them a 15 year lease on the old Greenfield Town Poor Farm. This was the break Just Roots was waiting for and with a unanimous vote, they had it; 60 acres to begin realizing their hopeful vision; a Greenfield in which a healthy and just community is thriving; body and soul nourished by locally grown food and collaborative educational programming. The Community Farm, in five years, will be a thriving social enterprise helping to realize this vision. Councilors praised Just Roots for their proposal which was submitted in answer to the Town’s issued RFP and was ultimately accepted with a unanimous vote (the proposal can be viewed at the Greenfield Public Library).
Just Roots has already broken ground working in the fields to remove rocks that New England farmers are all too familiar with. The first day was a big success marked by the removal of 30 ton of rocks. Volunteers of all ages have arrived in the fields to de-rock and prepare the fields for planting.
The mission of the Community Farm is:
- To provide open access to its food and land use for all Greenfield residents
- To connect the farm and its food with the Greenfield schools and their kids
- To provide collaborative programming which empowers all local consumers to use, mold, and strengthen and grow healthy, eating local food.
