North of Concord Farm

by Shane Smith, Outreach Coordinator

Many of the farmers who supply the Co-op operate on a small scale. Most have no additional employees beyond family members and most needing at least one member of the household earning a full-time wage outside the farm.  Both Lorna and Raymond work full-time off the farm, so getting to all of the tasks that need to be done on a daily basis is difficult.  Typically, during the growing season they get home from work, change their clothes and head outside to start weeding, watering, harvesting, etc. Weekends are not days off.  They are typically 10-12 hour days.

Lorna Carlisle and Raymond Dreary have been bringing the Co-op produce for three years.  Both Lorna and Raymond grew up on family farms growing vegetables and raising animals.   It was a necessary way of life to supplement food for their large families.   North of Concord farm is not certified organic but follows organic practices and principles. 

Some of Lorna’s inspiration for farming came from her upbringing and also from books by Jim Crockett (Crockett’s Victory Garden) and Eliot Coleman.  The latter inspired Lorna and Raymond to try their hands at winter farming and they erected a hoop house last winter. 

Lorna and Raymond are always challenged by the need for small-scale farm equipment.  A lot of farm machinery is designed for larger scale farm operations and does not work well on their property. Luckily both Lorna and Raymond inherited their fathers’ tractors; a Farmall Cub and a Ford. 

Each year, North of Concord Farm adds new products to their offerings and tries to increases their volume on items that sell well.  Recently, they have included cage-free eggs they sell from their farm stand.  Some of their higher volume produce include leeks, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, scallions, and herbs. 

Although they work long and hard at what they do, their only regret is that they did not pursue their passion for farming earlier.