The North Amherst Community Farm is coming back to life. Following 17 years of organic farming and a short interval of inactivity, the board of directors is working to revive farming activity in North Amherst with an emphasis on the “community” aspects of the North Amherst Community Farm. Toward this end, we engaged the young, creative and passionate minds of UMass students through the Stockbridge School of Agriculture Permaculture Design and Practice class this past spring. They presented the result of their work to community members on May 7, 2026 at the North Amherst Public Library.

The NACF board of trustees will be reviewing the suggestions of the students and community members over the next few months.

Friends of the farm continue to clean up the vegetation and debris while also working to stabilize the financial status of the farm and move toward full ownership of the infrastructure (buildings, equipment, etc.) that is currently owned by Simple Gifts.

In the meantime, we have rented most of the farmland in order to pay taxes and insurance, which allows the public continued access to the property. We’re delighted to have responsible tenant farmers using and maintaining the land.

If you walk the farm this spring, you will see:

Kitchen Garden Farm from Sunderland occupying the large greenhouses. Greenhouses 1, 2, and 3 on the west end (North Pleasant St.) have been the home to leafy green vegetables over the winter and are now being transitioned into peppers and tomatoes.

Kitchen Garden is also farming about 4 acres of tomatoes and peppers with drip irrigation and plastic mulch, on the fields just north of the large greenhouses.

Em Thomas from Little Bend Flower Farm in Sunderland is preparing to grow flowers on about 1/2 acre, just north of the large greenhouse on the west end of the farm.

And Plainville Farm from Hadley, will be growing squash on the fields at the east end of the farm, along Pine St.

Planting of the organic squash along Pine Street has begun!