A generation of hope
Generation Farm is a small Certified Organic vegetable farm located on a forest hilltop in Concord NH. Our farm was started in 2012 by young people looking to provide their community with fresh food farmed responsibly. Sustainability and responsible stewardship of the land is our goal. We produce nearly all of our electricity through solar power and heat our barn with a wood pellet burner. Over 60 acres of diverse forest & wetland surrounding our fields are left untouched. This provides a rich habitat for wildlife and flora.
As an organic farm we never use any type of herbicides or pesticides – even those that are allowed by organic standards do not make the cut here. We fertilize our soils with only naturally derived products and plenty of rich organic compost.
Everything is lovingly grown, harvested and packed by a husband and wife team who run the farm.
We are grateful to be a part of the next generation in establishing more small sustainable farms for the health and longevity of our society and the environment.
Meet the Farmers
James & Marley
James is originally from Sleepy Hollow, NY and Marley is a NH native. We have degrees in History and Psychology respectively, but found our calling getting our hands dirty in the field. James was inspired by agriculture in Kyrgyzstan where he lived during his time in the Peace Corps. James had his first farming experience interning at the Stone Barns and Quail Hill in NY before going on to be a field manager at Red Fire Farm in MA.
When James moved to NH to start his own farm, he met Marley while she was working at the local food coop in town.
Although neither of us grew up in farming families, we both discovered our love of nature & environmentalism easily translated into a passion for agriculture. We live and work on the farm together, tackling every chore from bookkeeping and hauling compost to pulling weeds.
Mango & Rue
Farming can be isolating at times, but our dogs provide tremendous companionship and morale boosts. We can’t imagine life without our farm dogs.
Rue & Mango are English Shepherds, a breed with deep roots in American agriculture as a versatile farm dog. While the English Shepherd was a very common dog on farming homesteads a century ago, their presence has waned along with the small farmer. This breed is prized for its high biddability, intelligence and loose eyed herding abilities. On our farm they work as wildlife deterrents, vermin hunters and watchdogs.
English Shepherds are often highly territorial and bossy dogs. They can be quite wary of strangers. Their capacity for wisdom, intuition and empathy are almost human-like.
You can read more about English Shepherds here. If you are a farmer or a homesteader and are looking for a fantastic dog to help out on your property, please reach out to us and we can connect you with more information, reputable breeders and the National English Shepherd Rescue organization.
Our Mission
Small
We really are small, some might call us a Market Garden rather than a traditional Farm. Operated entirely by only two people. All of the work done to bring you fresh produce from soil prep, seeding, weeding, to harvesting and packing is performed by James & Marley. Our work is our life, and we love it. We put great care into every step of the growing process & feel personal responsibility for the quality of everything we produce. It is often overwhelming, joyful, exhausting and ultimately the most fulfilling job either of us has ever known.
We want to challenge the notion that ‘unlimited growth’ is the only way to do business – we simply want to make an honest living and preserve the integrity of our land. Staying small allows us to remain focused on what is really important – being responsible members of our community and our environment. We believe in growing better, not bigger.
Local
Truly fresh food has not traveled more than a few miles from where it was picked. This way it retains all of its complex nutrients and best flavor. We are told again and again by our customers how fresh and long lasting our salad greens are - people often rediscover a box in the back of their fridge only to find it is still crisp and beautiful! This is only possible because our greens have such a short journey from field to shelf.
Local small farms are an essential piece of the puzzle to attaining sustainability and food security in our country. We hope someday everyone will choose local produce first, strive to eat seasonally and help the small farm community flourish.
Sustainable
We have a large solar array that provides power for our electrical needs on the farm. Any extra power produced is fed right back into the grid. Like our plants, we draw our energy from the sun.
We heat our barn (which is also our living space) using a super efficient wood pellet burner.
Our greens are packaged in clamshells made with post consumer recycled plastic.
Most all of the tasks on our farm are performed by hand. We only use one mid-size tractor to prep beds & move heavy loads of compost around. The rest is done with good old-fashioned hard labor. We practice low-till farming, which greatly reduces soil disturbance and fuel needs. Our farm is small enough to make this approach viable and we think less-mechanized means better quality in the end.
Organic
We are certified organic by the USDA via the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. Organic farms do not use the synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers typically used by conventional farms. Crop rotation, the use of beneficial insect predators and natural fertilizers/compost are the cornerstones of Organic agriculture. Our farm is no-spray and we never use GMO seed. We utilize low-till practices with a focus on improving the condition of our soil each year.
Pollinators also appreciate having an organic landscape to forage. We grow clover instead of grass in all of our 'lawn' spaces, allow the wildflowers to take over & are always expanding our pollinator habitat on the farm. Our friend, Concord Bee Company, keeps several hives on our property. We love bees!
