Newhall Fields Community Farm

I was lucky enough to connect with Jacqui Richard about a year ago through the networking group she runs, Next Gen Network. Everyone I’ve met through Next Gen has been kind, hard working, and supportive. Here’s a sample from the group’s mission statement: “We started this group to encourage introductions, not sales techniques. We aim to lead by example in the business community by empowering one another doing our part to give back.”

As much as I’d love to go on about the Next Gen folks, this post is about another one of Jacqui’s projects! She asked me to come take some promo photos out at Tillie’s Farm in Peabody. Behind the charming Tillie’s Farm store, there’s a verdant space for the NFCF (Newhall Fields Community Farm) project. The land there belonged to someone who lived in Peabody, and left the land to the town to be used as a green community space. I was quickly greeted by the farm mascot dog Faybo. She’s basically my dream dog, a chunky pit bull who loves everyone! It’s such a beautiful place with a lot of love put into it.

NFCF does some great work in the community; “NFCF fosters community spirit and encourages ‘learning on the land’ by cultivating farmland, preparing soil, planting seeds, raising and harvesting food, volunteering, educating, and hosting community events.” I had fun capturing all the outdoor learning and kid’s farming spaces, as well as all the little things that help give the farm personality.

Here’s what Jacqui wanted to add: “Using regenerative agricultural practices, we grow food to feed our community with fresh, high quality, organic produce that is affordable and accessible to everyone. In addition, our focus has always been to empower our community by providing educational and community building components to what we do. Due to the current pandemic, we are farming with a small group of volunteers but look forward to opening up more opportunities for others to get involved down the road. Currently, we are seeking donations so we can continue growing our organization and serving our community.” To help support NFCF, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-newhall-fields-community-farm