Crows’ Feat Farm has teamed up with the folks at Land for Good and the New England Farmland Finder to recruit farming partners to help us expand and diversify the cultivation of these lands.  We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response–in just one week we’ve been approached by arborists, horticulturists, silvopasture specialists, mycologists, dairy farmers, cheese and ice cream makers, vintners, builders, mechanics and even restauranteurs!  Not to mention several eager new farmers with a passion for permaculture and a commitment to regenerative agriculture.  The outpouring of goodwill and humble ambition has been truly heartwarming.

Our plan is to set up a hybrid-cooperative structure in which farmers can pursue their particular specialities independently, while contributing to the development of shared infrastructure, and assisting one another with demanding tasks that require multiple hands.  Young farmers will have an  opportunity to invest their “sweat equity” toward building ownership in the cooperative, whose lands will be preserved via a conservation trust. 

Our hope is to build a “portfolio of farmers” who share a common vision & values, but who possess
diverse farming interests and talents.  We are also seeking a diversity of ages, meaning a combination of (a) older/experienced people with a wide range of skills, matched with (b) younger folks who have established skills and might in 5-10 years be ready to step up and lead; and (c) novices who are willing to contribute physical labor and new ideas, while learning from their elders what not to do!

Diversification along multiple dimensions helps to build resilience, creativity and innovation.  Our hope is that the agricultural mosaic we fashion at Crows’ Feat Farm will be both beautiful and enduring.