Old Friends Farm
Amherst, MA
In 2003, Old Friends Farm began on a small rented garden plot, a pocketful of seed, and a pickup truck. Fast forward to the present… the rented land has increased to 28 acres, there are cabinets of seed, and several trucks!
Old Friends Farm grows and provides organically grown food and flowers. They strive to offer fair pay to workers and owners, and foster the connection between the community and local agriculture. They manage the farm to be part of a healthy ecosystem.
Missy Bahret and Casey Steinberg, old friends from college days, co-own and continually create and manage the farm. Together with their families, Missy and Casey bring different but complimentary skills to the farm. Missy has an eye for detail as well as the big picture. She possesses the wisdom and creativity to make it all happen. This may mean designing and crafting the perfect bouquet, making a stunning market display, the timely implementation of a new system, or the facilitation of a meaningful and productive crew meeting. Casey's steady energy and wide breadth of skills are an essential part of the farm. At any given moment, Casey's pockets will be filled with nuts & bolts, seeds, a list, an intriguing rusty piece of metal, a coupler, and an apple for snacking; his body will be fixing a tractor, scouting the fields, creating the wholesale availability list, and picking up any details missed; and his mind will be planning a crop rotation and rehearsing a complex harmony tune. He loves "the puzzle" of farming, and draws energy from the continual configuring of the ever-changing jigsaw pieces.
Assistant Manager Hana Martin is the glue that keeps the crew running smoothly. She has an incredibly steady demeanor and immense skill-set, as well as a fun personality and admirable ability to juggle a zillion farm-beanbags!
Each and every person on the crew is a vital part of the farm. Their excellent skill-sets, passion for farming, lovable personalities, and teamwork mentality combine to make a dynamic and creative workplace where magic happens. The collective result is pure gestalt, and you can enjoy that magic in our products!