From Farm to Table: Mass. Pioneers of the Organic Movement

“What did our grandparents call organic food?”

Answer: “Food.”

Through the last decade, the sad basis for that joke pushed forth a rapidly-expanding movement toward chemical-free, local farming. And while organic and community farming has increased in popularity within the past five to ten years, some were on the cusp of the movement as far back as the mid-’70s.

Coined “Community Supported Agriculture,” the CSA model blossomed in the United States in the 1980s, and, according to Wikipedia, was influenced by European biodynamic agriculture ideas. The CSA Garden at Great Barrington in Massachusetts and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire are considered two of the earliest, created in 1986.

But before all of this, inspired folks in Natick were envisioning this very concept for their town. Natick is considered a pioneer in both organic farming and the community farm movement.

“We have one of the oldest community farms in the state, and we’ve inspired dozens of other community farming projects,” said Trish Wesley Umbrell, farm administrator at Natick Community Farm.

Natick took the land that is now the Natick Community Organic Farm by eminent domain in early 1974, and it was put under the auspices of the School Committee, anticipating it would be developed into a school. The modern-day farm community concept for it was conceived by Eliot Church, the Lions Club and Natick’s Youth and Human Resources Committee in 1975 as a means to create much-needed summer jobs for local youth at risk.

“The group called itself Red Wing Farm and planted a market garden on a two-acre plot of tilled land at the Broadmoor Audubon Sanctuary,” said Wesley Umbrell.

By fall that year, Natick’s school committee agreed to lend the land to the Red Wing Farm project. The farm moved to 117 Eliot St. and used the barn as its headquarters, and by the second summer, it was employing dozens of teens to raise and market vegetables to the public.

Now the Natick Community Organic Farm, it’s a thriving nonprofit occupying this large swath of land. A partnership with Natick, the farm is town-owned conservation land and the buildings and maintenance are the town’s. NCOF is considered part of the Department of Community Services, which employees three full-timers. NCOF is a nonprofit that is responsible for running the farm’s day-to-day operations and education programs, hiring seasonal staff and running the market stands.

NCOF not only markets its produce to the public through its marketstand located on Route 16 from July 1 through Aug. 1, but also at the Natick Common Farmers’ Market and through partnerships, such as with Brothers Marketplace in Medfield and Weston.

Brothers Marketplace, which is a neighborhood market that features handpicked selections of fresh foods, local products, prepared meals and grocery essentials, is celebrating its one year anniversary in Medfield on Saturday, Aug. 1, from noon to 3 p.m. The anniversary will be in the form of a fun, country fair complete with events, samples from local vendors, lunch on the grill, a dunk tank, tours and a lot more.

With aisles packed with fresh produce and handcrafted artisans products, Brothers brings in items from such companies as Nola’s Fresh Foods from Jamaica Plain, Grillo’s Pickles, La Nina Tortilla Chips from Everett, Iggy’s Breads from Cambridge, and of course lots of produce from NCOF.

The produce and floral leads are always looking to foster local relationships for Brothers Marketplace, and when they were introduced to the farmers at NCOF, it was an obvious fit. The mother of a longtime volunteer Jackie Melchoiorri led the connection.

“We work with the Natick Community Organic Farm throughout the growing season and take in a wide selection of products, from organic flowers to unique varieties of locally grown produce,” said Jessica Winship, produce merchandiser for Brothers Marketplace.

Just last week, said Winship, Brothers Marketplace took in some Chiogga beets, purple basil and curly rona kale from the farm. But the selections vary from week to week, with customers able to grab fresh Arbeson tomatoes one week and then a Cherokee Purple tomato the next.

“To be able to offer both local and organic is such a win-win situation for all,” said Winship. “To have a direct relationship with the people who are growing our produce and know the hands that are picking it daily makes it that much more special. The fact that the flowers are organic and that the farmers at NCOF never use pesticides, no preservatives; well, you can’t get fresher than that.”

Both Brothers locations receive multiple shipments from NCOF, which operates and produces food year-round. The Walnut Hill School, restaurants Sweet Basil and Juniper, Tilly, Salvy’s Brothers and Whole Foods also receive produce and flowers from NCOF.

While Umbrell stresses that she doesn’t speak for the entire organic movement, when asked to respond to the common complaint that “it costs too much to eat healthy,” she says there are a variety of factors that contribute to pricing of organic products. With a young family and limited funds herself, she picks and chooses, she says, buying some organic items and others that are not.

“Our pricing reflects our true cost of producing organic food on our farm,” she said. “Farming is hard, labor-intensive process. There are so many inherent risks in it, like weather, disease and insects. The margins on crops are so small. In this country, we are lucky to have low food costs because our food system is so commercialized, and faring is often subsidized. Many people around the world pay a great deal more for their food. There are huge tradeoffs to our system, though. Cheap food is often produced with greater chemical inputs, less humane animal care, at the expense of our environment, and the results is less-healthy food products containing lots of preservatives and additives. It is more expensive to produce local organic food, but the benefits for the environment, your health and your community are substantial.”

Winship agrees: the community/organic farming movement is getting bigger.

“As one can see from looking at the competitive marketplace, local, organic and small store formats that celebrate these items are on the rise,” said Winship. “Eating organic can be more expensive during certain growing times, as well as seasonal variations. However, it can also be more affordable, depending on where the items are coming from to the store.”

Visit Brothers Marketplace and learn more about Natick Community Organic Farm at the anniversary event on Aug. 1.

For a list of Massachusetts CFAs, visit CFA Institute’s website to search your area.