Meadowbrook Farm

Jalila Waller, Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Meadowbrook Farm in Westford, MA has stood the test of time. The property has lasted through countless generations and infrastructure changes. Over the years, one thing has stayed constant – the land remains farmland. Today, the land is used to grow produce for communities that lack access thanks to the partnership between Boston Area Gleaners and Bob Waskiewicz. 

The farmland has been around for hundreds of years and is rooted in deep history. The property was inherited by Bernice Gould Picking. Her grandfather, Edwin Gould, purchased the land around 1858 and Picking spent the latter half of her life protecting the land that had been in her family for three generations. She was determined to preserve one of Westford’s oldest 18th century farm houses along with its property. After Picking’s death in 1996, many developers had their eyes on the property. However, notable members of the Westford community, including Bob and Margit Webb who supported local growers and helped distribute produce to local pantries, and Bob Waskiewicz, who had a strong interest in agriculture, expressed a desire in preserving the true agricultural essence and history of the land. In 1997, at a Special Town Meeting, Webb and Waskiewicz along with thousands of residents from the Town of Westford came together with a ‘save the farm committee’ and created a public-private partnership to resurrect the buildings on the land. The Westford residents overwhelmingly voted to save the farm buildings including the original farm house, barn, 1850 schoolhouse, and cider mill. Now, the land remains under a conservation restriction. Through countless connections and community support, the land and its farm buildings will always be a true part of agricultural history and preservation for the town of Westford. 

​In recent years, Waskiewicz decided to put more of the Meadowbrook farmland to use. Waskiewicz approached Boston Area Gleaners three years ago with a proposal to grow produce on a three and a half acre field at Meadowbrook Farm with the intent to donate the crops to local food access organizations. Growing produce on this field would bring the important values and desires of Bernice Gould Picking, Bob and Margit Webb, and all the supporters who saved Meadowbrook Farm to fruition. Additionally, it would allow the Gleaners to have a satellite field to grow butternut squash to donate to food access partners. Waskiewicz stood in front of the Community Preservation Committee of the town of Westford and secured funding to transform the acres of property into suitable farm land. The funding supported additional infrastructure improvements including a dedicated irrigation well, a deer fence, and an access road for farm equipment.

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Dan Kamen, Farm Manager for Boston Area Gleaners said, “We are very grateful for the work that Bob did to secure funding to make the Meadowbrook field so productive. Without the well and the deer fence it would not have been viable for us to grow butternut there.”

2024 was the first season the Gleaners worked at Meadowbrook Farm to grow butternut squash. It was a wildly successful crop and yielded 95,000 pounds of delicious squash. This crop was chosen for many reasons: it has a long shelf life, there is a high demand for it in the food access space, it is a low maintenance crop, and the Gleaners already had the equipment to efficiently produce, harvest, and transport it. Kamen and the farm crew successfully cultivated the land at Meadowbrook Farm to produce more butternut squash during the 2024 holiday season. 

Meadowbrook Farm continues to be an integral part of Westford agricultural history. Not only does it feed the community, Good Pickin’ Farm (also located at Meadowbrook Farm) is where agricultural education meets fun for people of all ages. Good Pickin’ Farm, led by Sandra Habe, has three educational programs for children along with a summer camp. But the fun is not just for children, Good Pickin’ Farm emphasizes the need for the whole community to enjoy and learn about how agriculture can be incorporated into daily life. This includes wellness classes for adults – yoga, meditation, herbal tea blending and more. Now, Habe and Waskiewicz work diligently to ensure that the farm helps and supports many aspects of the community. Habe notes that working with the Gleaners fits into the concept of trying to help people that do not have enough to eat but also going above and beyond to fix that problem. 

There certainly is more in store for this collaborative effort between the Gleaners and Meadowbrook Farm, with plans to grow a different crop, sweet potatoes this season. It is amazing to know that the common interest of providing food to those in need stretches across many sectors. 

When asked what keeps him going doing this work, Waskiewicz said, “We love helping people…and it’s our job to help people…feeding people and healing people. How can you not have energy for that?”

The collaboration with the Gleaners, Meadowbrook Farm, and the town of Westford is a reminder that true partnership within the agricultural world is vital to the success of increasing access to fresh produce across our local communities.

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