Our Mission
LexFarm is a thriving, sustainable community farm that fosters learning and connects people with each other and with the land, promotes environmental stewardship, and increases access to fresh, healthy organic food for all.
Our Vision
To be an exemplary model of a local, regenerative food system by:
- Expanding our dedication to practices that promote high-quality, healthy, locally grown organic food as a right to all.
- Inspiring environmental stewardship among community members, future generations and farmers.
- Becoming a vibrant, well-known, community hub and outdoor space where everyone can engage, learn, and grow.
- Creating a resilient ecosystem that adapts to climate change.
How We Farm
We practice regenerative farming, which is farming for the benefit of nature. This method focuses on improving soil health and restoring biodiversity to ensure that the land remains productive for future generations. It’s also more resilient in the face of climate change, offering better water retention in times of drought along with better drainage.
Here are some examples of our sustainable farming practices:
- We made the switch to low-till and no-till farming, which minimally disturbs the soil.
- We plant marigolds, nasturtiums, and sweet alyssum at the field edges to attract beneficial insects and pollinators into our fields.
- We increased our cover cropping by 50%, which means planting things like grasses and legumes during the off-season and between cash crops to cover, protect, and enrich the soil.
- We use straw instead of plastic mulch to reduce our use of single-use plastics, and help feed the soil and add carbon to it.
- We use beneficial insects to manage pests–like ladybugs, which eat spider mites and thrips, and parasitic wasps, which kill tomato hornworms.
How We’re Increasing Food Access
We’re committed to increasing access to fresh, organic produce for everyone in our community, including those experiencing food insecurity who may struggle with finding and affording healthy local foods.
During our CSA growing season, we collaborate with the following organizations to fulfill our promise:
- Food Link rescues donated and surplus produce each week, and distributes it to 120 social services agencies across Greater Boston.
- Arlington EATS operates a market where Arlington residents can “shop” for free for produce, dairy, meats, and non-perishable items once a week.
- Lexington Food Pantry allows Lexington residents to pick up produce and a variety of non-perishable items on most Saturday mornings.
Lexington Food Pantry and Arlington EATS also receive donations from our volunteer gleaning program, which harvests and delivers surplus crops to each organization.
At our year-round Farm Store, we accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and participate in the Healthy Incentive Program (HIP), a reimbursement program for Massachusetts SNAP recipients.* Our LexFarm Match program doubles the spending power of SNAP at our Farm Store by matching benefits up to $10 with each weekly purchase. Proudly supported by Cambridge Savings Bank.
In the summer, we accept Senior and WIC Farmers Market coupons.
*All Massachusetts SNAP participants get HIP, and the amount of HIP depends on family size.
