A group of north Amherst neighbors came together in 2005 and started a nonprofit to preserve the farmland formerly owned by the Dziekanowski Family. With the help of phenomenal support from the State of Massachusetts, the Town of Amherst, and the local community, North Amherst Community Farm was born. NACF preserves the farm as a wildlife corridor and community resource with walking trails, more equitable access to organic produce, and educational programming on the interrelation of food production/distribution and environmental health. In the middle of a densely populated neighborhood, it is an ideal site to build connections between people and their food supply.
After purchasing the property in 2006, NACF sought a farming team to start a community-based farm here. Dave and Jeremy applied and were chosen to lease the property from NACF in an innovative shared-ownership model designed to keep the land as a community farm for generations to come. Simple Gifts Farm has been working the land since 2006, and is pleased to collaborate with NACF’s lively and effective community-minded group.
