Concord Ag Day has its roots in Massachusetts history. In 1794, the country’s first agricultural society was formed. Its activities were centered in Concord beginning in 1820 with the first annual cattle show. Premiums were awarded for the best in various categories of produce, livestock, farm products, handiwork, etc.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, Concord had just turned 200 years old and had a population of around 2,000. Always a farming town, by the 1840s, Concord’s agricultural economy was in flux, and the crops and farms that had been so important to the town in its first 200 years were evolving. By the dawn of the twentieth century, Concord agriculture had changed in many ways, from the people who were farming to the crops they were growing.
A well-known tale professes good farmers grow great vegetables, but great farmers grow superb soil. Gaining Ground has superb soil.
Since its inception 27 years ago, Gaining Ground has consistently met its mission of ‘providing equitable access to healthy food and sustainably grown produce.’ The key to their success is a supportive board, an outstanding office team, knowledgeable farm staff, and a dedicated volunteer crew. Together, using three acres of farmland, they grow approximately 100,000 pounds of produce annually, serving 1,200 households weekly.
If, on a summer day, you drive down Sudbury Road toward Nine Acre Corner, then, having left the shade of the woods and passed by a line of sunlit fields, you will see a squat brown building standing amidst the rows of crops. This is the farm stand of Verrill Farm. This local family business has gone through many shapes and sizes over the course of its 100-year history, surviving economic changes and even a devastating fire, but it has always carried on in its mission to “nourish the body and soul of our customers by providing healthful food of superb flavor in surroundings of beauty.”
There are 812 acres of working farmland surrounding Concord and Carlisle and summertime provides a bumper crop of fresh fruit and vegetables; the options are beyond abundant. These working farm stands use every acre of farmland to provide healthy options for salads in every home! The standard fare of crisp lettuce, ruby red tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and spicy hot peppers are available throughout the summer months. There are some standout varieties that provide unique twists at each farm stand. It is worth the wait and time to travel to these ‘grocery stores’ of summer. In a dash, the harvest can go from your grocery tote to dinner plate without needing more than a splash of oil and vinegar.
