Farming Greenbelt Land
Greenbelt owns, manages, and lets farmers grow on about 250 acres of farmland.
Greenbelt farmland that is used by a farmer under an agricultural agreement is almost always satellite land for that farmer, meaning it is not abutting or even close to their home farm.These local farmers use Greenbelt farmland for hay, salt hay, alfalfa, sunflowers, Christmas trees, vegetables, and livestock grazing.
Greenbelt farmland rarely has any buildings or infrastructure such as barns, sheds or utilities. Farmers may occasionally be granted permission to develop some infrastructure. Greenbelt farmland is typically licensed rent-free to local farmers on a 5-year renewable basis, although longer license and lease agreements can be considered.
How does Greenbelt choose who farms and what can be farmed on our land?
Greenbelt reviews all of our agricultural agreements on a case by case basis. Examples:
- We may grandfather a farmer and farming operation that was already occurring on land when it was acquired.
- We may select a new farmer and farming operation that meets a set of criteria such as existing relationship with the current farmer, proximity to their home farm or their farming compatibility with the farmland.
- We may seek new farmers either by word of mouth or by distributing a request for proposals.
Greenbelt farmland may have limitations on the type of farming allowed due to funding sources for the property purchase, conservation restrictions, or natural resource protection priorities such as water supply protection, wetland protection and wildlife protection. The compatibility of the farming operation with Greenbelt’s goals for the farmland may impact who is able to farm and what they can farm on our land.
Who’s Farming Greenbelt Land?
- Cedar Rock Gardens - Gloucester
- Colby Farm - Newbury, West Newbury
- Colby Farm Salt Hay - Newbury
- End of the Road Farm - Ipswich
- Herrick Farm
- Holiday Tree Farm - Topsfield
- George Hoyt - Merrimac
- Iron Ox Farm - Topsfield, Hamilton
- Royce Knowlton - Ipswich
- Richard Perkins - Essex
- Richardson’s Farm - Middleton
- Seaview Farm - Rockport
- Tendercrop Farm - Newbury
- Wally’s Vegetables - Haverhill
Farmland Seekers:
Greenbelt owns farmland across all of Essex County and most of it is currently farmed under an agricultural agreement between Greenbelt and a farmer.
Some areas of farmland may currently be fallow and/or managed for purposes unrelated to farming, thus not under any agreement. This does not automatically mean Greenbelt will never again allow farming there. We look at every acre of farmland, and respond to every request for farmland, on a case by case basis.
Farmers seeking farmland can reach out to Greenbelt to inquire about the availability of farmland.
For more information on farming Greenbelt land, please email Dave Rimmer, Director of Stewardship: Greenbelt