Our farm

Next Barn Over Farm grows a wide and diverse array of certified-organic vegetables for CSA, farmers market, and several local grocery stores, small distributors, and restaurants in Western Massachusetts and throughout the commonwealth. Established in 2009, our farm is in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, in Hadley, MA, at the foot of the Holyoke Range, near the confluence of the Fort & Connecticut Rivers.

Once the rich bottomland of ancient Lake Hitchcock, archeological research suggests that humans have lived in this fertile valley for over 12,000 years. Before the arrival of Europeans about 350 years ago, Nipmuc and Pocumtuc people farmed here for thousands of years. In the last several hundred years, the area has been known for its corn, tobacco, winter squash, asparagus, and other vegetables. Because of its rich soil and strong agricultural traditions, Hadley has the most farmland in Agricultural Protection Restriction (APR) in the state of Massachusetts, with over 2,400 acres protected from development. The APR program has helped farming remain viable and first-generation farms like ours possible. Almost all of the land that we farm is preserved for agricultural use forever.

We hope that the farm offers you, our fellow community members, a connection to the land and the place where your food is grown. Our farm is certified organic and we strive for sustainability in all aspects of our relationship with the earth, each other and the broader community. We farm because of a deep love of the land, hard work, and sharing food. We aspire to grow delicious, healthful produce and offer it at accessible prices; make the farm a vibrant community gathering space; and keep sustainability and justice at the heart of all of our farming and business practices.

Ray Young, farmer and owner

Gardening the community

Next Barn Over partners with the amazing youth gardening project Gardening the Community (GTC) to bring farm-shares to their neighborhood in Springfield, MA.

GTC does incredible work for food justice in Springfield – employing youth from around the Mason Square Neighborhood to grow vegetables on vacant and abandoned lots, educating about urban sustainable living and urban agriculture, and providing fresh organic produce to their community.

Check out, spread the word, and support this vital work!  Gardening the Community and the GTC EATS CSA share.