Middle Branch Farm

by Shane Smith, Outreach Coordinator

The fields at Middle Branch Farm in New Boston have been continuously farmed since the 1700’s.  The farm has served over the decades as a dairy, apple orchard, vegeatble, poultry and meat farm.  The farm was in the possession of the Colburn family from its inception to the point where Roger Noonan bought it in 2000.  Noonan and his family continues in that tradition of a diversified sustainable family farm.  The 100 acres at Middle Branch include woodland, pastures and fertile fields.

Noonan has been farming organically at Middle Branch Farm for over ten years.  His farming philosophy and methodology was shaped in part by his time at Marlboro College in Vermont, which Roger has described as “full of farmer/back-to-the-land types.”  One of the books he read in college was, Plowman’s Folly by Edward Faulkner.  Noonan credits this book as a major factor to the style of farming he employs today.  The book, written in the mid nineteen- forties, outlined the missuse of soil by conventional plowing and soil management practices.  Noonan believes that building healthy soil is the most essential aspect to successful organic farming.

Roger has a much larger scale to his farm than most of the farmers we visited, with 40 acres in vegetable production alone.  That is an amazing amount of fields to contend with especially considering how much of the work needs to be done by hand!  He may even be the largest certified organic farmer in the state.

Roger (center) and Midle Branch Farm crew

The Co-op has been carrying Middle Branch vegetables since its beginnings.  This past Thanksgiving the Co-op sold over 600 lbs. of Middle Branch winter squash.

Roger has recently become politically active on the national  farm scene.  The Co-op works with him on national farm issues by sending action alerts to our members.  Most recently several action alerts were created and sent to Co-op members urging their support of the 2012 Farm Bill.  He is currently the  Vice-President of the New England Farmers Union where he fights for the rights of New England farmers and fisherman.




For more information about Middle Branch Farm click here 
For more information about the New England Farmer's Union click  here