Jimmy’s Barn at Appleton Farms
Investing in critical agriculture infrastructure
Rolling grasslands, grazing livestock, stone walls, vegetable crops, and historic farm buildings comprise the 1,000-acre pastoral landscape at Appleton Farms, offering a rare glimpse into New England’s agricultural past. Appleton Farms is one of the oldest continuously operating farms in the country, established in 1638 and maintained by nine generations of the Appleton family until it was generously donated to the Trustees in 1998. The Farm remains a beloved community resource and hub for agriculture production, farm-based education and summer camp, ecology, historic preservation, and passive recreation.
A Sustainable Farm
Appleton Farms is committed to farming in ways that produce high-quality food locally while preserving biodiversity and native species habitat, mitigating climate change, building healthy soils, and ensuring that our farmland is even healthier for the next generations. With our certified organic vegetable CSA and grass-based livestock operation, we aim to deepen visitors’ understanding of our agroecological approach to farming as a mechanism for conservation. Farming with an agroecological approach not only allows us to harvest and share local produce but is key to managing the historic landscape in a sustainable way.
A robust vegetable CSA is the cornerstone of our farming operation, serving 650 summer members and 200 winter members. We sell over 35 different certified organic vegetables including root vegetables, greens and salad mixes, herbs, brassica, allium, and fruit. In addition to the CSA, we have à la carte vegetable selections sold daily in our Farm Store. We also partner with local organizations to donate thousands of pounds of produce annually to underserved communities.
Jimmy's Barn Ca. 1940
Jimmy’s Barn at Appleton Farms
Jimmy’s Barn at Appleton Farms is a historic structure and a critical asset to agricultural production on the property. In addition to the weekly CSA distribution for over 650 families, Jimmy’s Barn houses the wash, pack, cold and dry storage area for all field crops. The current post-harvest infrastructure at Appleton is lacking. The efficiency and condition of this infrastructure are key to ensuring the success of agricultural production at Appleton Farms. Agriculture production is essential not only to the CSA, a powerful engagement tool and means of distributing fresh, local, food, but also to the broader management of the land at Appleton Farms.
In 2023 we engaged the architectural firm LDa Architecture & Interiors with the goal of improving the infrastructure at Jimmy’s Barn to meet staff and production needs, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and sustainability. The greatest and most immediate need is addressing the post-harvest infrastructure to provide operational support for the existing farm program. This phase of investment would include enclosing the wash and pack station, and improvements to cold storage, including the purchase of two new refrigeration units that provide more precise temperature control and are accessible by pallet jack. We will also build concrete pads for the units and upgrade the electricity as necessary to accommodate this increased cooler space.
Project Budget and Request for Support
The estimated total project budget is $425,000, including the components outlined above (enclosing the wash and pack station, improving refrigeration, and installing the necessary concrete pad, electric, and lighting), plus design and permitting fees. Your gift toward this goal would help to ensure the integrity of the farming operation at Appleton Farms, a critical element of this historic property as a source of healthy food, public engagement, and land management.
