Concord’s Abundant Farm Stands

BY ANNE LEHMANN

There are 812 acres of working farmland surrounding Concord and Carlisle and summertime provides a bumper crop of fresh fruit and vegetables; the options are beyond abundant. These working farm stands use every acre of farmland to provide healthy options for salads in every home! The standard fare of crisp lettuce, ruby red tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and spicy hot peppers are available throughout the summer months. There are some standout varieties that provide unique twists at each farm stand. It is worth the wait and time to travel to these ‘grocery stores’ of summer. In a dash, the harvest can go from your grocery tote to dinner plate without needing more than a splash of oil and vinegar.

Courtesy of Marshall Farm

Walden Woods is best known as the home of Henry David Thoreau, a noted Transcendentalist who lived off the land from 1845-1847. Today, The Farm at Walden Woods is a USDA-certified organic farm and profits from the farm support The Walden Woods Project. This farmland has been in continual use since 1928. Harvests from the farm are sold at their farm stand near Sudbury Road off Route 2. The 12 acres of farmland yields items such as beets, squash, lettuce, eggplant, pumpkins, tomatoes, and corn. The staff has created a flexible touchless system where customers can call in to order for curbside pick-up or you can stop by to see what is available each week. The farm is also selling their fresh produce to local restaurants which enables farm-to-table dining.

The Farm at Walden Woods continues to be an advocate for minimizing the world’s carbon footprint. Sourcing food locally is one way to ensure the reduction of this effect versus customers purchasing vegetables that have traveled great distances to appear on dinner tables. Sourcing and consuming locally is a healthy way to shrink our individual carbon footprint.

Built in the 1940s, Saltbox Farm is a 10-acre farm filled with new ideas and oldschool tried and true technology. The farm relies on keeping things pure, using organic and sustainable farming practices. They do not use pesticides and focus on the soil; the deeper and fresher the soil the better. Crop rotation and compost are part of their strategy. The farm produces a variety of fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, honey, flowers, and hops used in their brewery at Saltbox Kitchen Restaurant. The new twist is the fact that Saltbox Farm is more than a farm stand; it has an incredible and quite unique triangular set of offerings. The triad is comprised of an outstanding local restaurant/brewery, catering business, and farm stand.

Saltbox farm is led by none other than fireworks enthusiast Ben Elliott who also was the Chef de Cuisine for No. 9 Park. He carries on his family farm tradition focused on community, family, and food. When meeting Ben he carries an aura of warmth and pure happiness. Something emanates from Ben and his businesses, as in whatever he is involved with will meet and or exceed expectations. The farm stand is now located inside the Saltbox Kitchen Restaurant and another unique twist is the offering of farmer’s choice produce bags which are filled with freshly picked herbs and veggies enough for two adults. If you are in the West Concord area, it is definitely worth the stop for lunch and a Saltbox beer, or farm stand items for dinner.

Courtesy of Saltbox Farm

A bit further up the road, Marshall Farm can boast that they have the two largest mobile chicken tracker coops in Eastern Massachusetts. Fresh eggs are abundant on this farm as well as honey. The chickens fertilize and the bees pollinate the farmland. This farm stand boasts pickling cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupes along with the mainstay veggies from the farm. In addition, they have partnered with local vendors to provide farm-fresh milk and locally sourced meat including bacon, steaks, sausages, and ground beef. The cut flowers and front door planters are abundant. Seedlings are ready for planting in gardens and kitchen herbs are available as well. Ricky Marshall is now the third generation of the family who has tended and run the farm stand, taking over for his Grandfather Richie. Farming is in the family blood. They love caring for the land and providing healthy food for the local community, many of whom they have known for years.

Courtesy of Marshall Farm

Carrots, onions, winter squash, beets, scallions, and a lettuce mix are in high demand as well as summer strawberries at Barrett’s Mill Farm. Melissa Maxwell, one of the farmers and owners, mentioned that they have had to make a few changes due to Covid requirements. But with a bit of creativity, they have expanded their pick-up area, added tents, and also included a ‘pick your own’ option at the farm stand. She shares “If people have time to go out into the fields they will have space, fresh air, and plenty of crops to harvest.” Their herbs are plentiful and the produce is bountiful.

If you are on your way out of town on Monument Street, you will find one of the most picturesque farms, Hutchins Farm. Where trust is part of their fabric, early in the season it is a self-service, exact change honor system. You select your herbs and veggies and plunk the cash in the wooden box for payment and that is that! The prices look like this; Asparagus: $5/half pound bunch Rhubarb: $5/ one pound bag Nettles: $5/bunch Arugula: $3.50/bunch Radishes: $3.50/bunch Hutchins Farm uses seeds from past harvests to begin their season, providing unusual vegetables to customers such as garlic chives, kohlrabi, amaranth, and spicy hot peppers. The standard vegetables are always available as well as fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

Courtesy of Marshall Farm

Verrill Farm is a longstanding farm stand, bakery, and lunch hot spot that features all types of fresh salads and ready-to-heat dinners. Late in the summer they offer a reduced rate box of ‘seconds’ tomatoes that are just perfect for making homemade marinara or tomato bisque. For more on Verrill Farm, see our profile on Steve Verrill in this issue.

A bit further down the road in Acton is Cucurbit Farm. They have an amazing array of fresh veggies, herbs, and hanging baskets. In addition, they offer fresh fish on Fridays between 2:00 and 6:00. A plus beyond the farm stand produce is the offering of hot bagels on the weekends. Go early because they are usually gone by noon.

If you are craving a light summer salad tossed with corn, green beans, summer squash, and tomatoes, Scimone’s Farm is a great place to stop and pick up these ingredients. They skirt the Bedford town line and are located right off Old Bedford Road. Millbrook Farm offers fresh flowers, hanging baskets, and a variety of herbs for planting. With the road to the farm stand now open, after a two-year closure, access to this family-run farm stand is now ready and they are looking forward to seeing everyone.

Concord’s hidden treasures go beyond the rich history of the Revolutionary War. Its treasures are farmers, community, and healthy delicious food.

Anne Lehmann has merged two disciplines, business consulting and journalism. Working for GE, Andersen Consulting, and Fidelity Investments, she uses this business background and now adds freelance writing for metro west publications, including the Boston Globe, into the mix.