Thank you!

We are delighted to announce that thanks to the generosity of our members and donors, over $56,000 was raised in our 2016 annual appeal!  We appreciate the support and participation from all 430 member households and businesses!!

Your donations allowed us to accomplish these activities in 2016:

  • Continue to practice organic growing methods so we can pursue organic certification in 2017!
  • Work with a soil consultant to help us create a long-term plan to improve LexFarm’s soil through targeted cover crop planting and reduced tillage.
  • Increase farm production in a year of extreme drought, to provide CSA shareholders with 15% more than the value of their share.
  • Donate over $15,000 of produce to local food rescue organizations Lovin Spoonfuls, Foodlink, and Boston Area Gleaners, exceeding the goal of 10% of the farm harvest.
  • Staff the farm and farmstand with knowledgeable crew and work-for-share members.
  • Make many improvements to the property, including:
    • Moving the access driveway to the right side of the farmstand
    • Building an information kiosk
    • Repairing and improving the large hoophouse and its electrical and heating systems, allowing us to better heat the space and use it for starting seedlings.
  • Reach over 500 children and adults through our education and revamped volunteer program, and reach hundreds of area residents who attended on-farm events, shopped at the farm stand and visited our table at Lexington and Arlington town events.

Thanks to local grant makers and a private fund, we had some additional accomplishments this year:

  • Thanks to a Willow Tree Fund donation last year, we purchased a shiny new Kubota tractor in September! This powerful, safe and reliable tractor will help us be more efficient in spring field preparation.
  • Thanks to a grant from the Lexington Council of the Arts, Lexington artist Nancy Gold led 6 free workshops to create giant vegetable props for LexFarm’s Patriots’ Day Parade entry. The beautifully constructed props won first prize for civic entry!
  • Thanks to a grant from the Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL), an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, we hired a consultant to support the Board’s development and business planning.  We have now laid the groundwork for shifting from a volunteer-run organization to a staffed non-profit community farm. This transition to staffed leadership will ensure the sustainability of the farm as a future community resource.
  • Thanks to an Adobe Foundation grant (Newton Office), we hired a Volunteer Coordinator to streamline our individual and group volunteer sign-up system to be used for years to come!

We are all looking forward to an exciting 2017!