Who would have guessed that only three miles from campus lies a seven-acre community farm dedicated to hunger relief, agricultural education and farm preservation? In fact, Waltham used to be home to many farms. Today only a single farm remains, the Waltham Fields Community Farm. The farm started in 1995 when a philanthropist named Oakes Plimpton began cultivating fields at the University of Massachusetts Field Station site in Waltham. Once a dairy farm, the fields had been left unfarmed for a number of years until Plimpton resowed them and donated what he harvested to local charities. In 1997, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program was created at the farm to provide funding for effective farm management and greater community outreach programs.

Today the farm grows more than 45 different types of vegetables and flowers, including lettuce, watermelon and arugula. Each year, the farm yields more than 20,000 pounds of produce, most of which is donated to local food pantries like the Waltham Salvation Army, the Red Cross and Sandra's Lodge, a homeless shelter for women and children. In addition to donating food, the farm also invites school and community groups to learn about sustainable agriculture and environmental justice.

Because no more than two days is allowed to pass from harvest to delivery, the produce grown by the farm is extremely fresh when it reaches its destination. According to Amanda Cather, the farm manager, the produce bought in a grocery store travels on average 1,400 miles before it reaches customers, the food grown on the Waltham farm stays in the community and usually travels fewer than 10 miles to its destination. Those who have tasted a tomato newly picked from the vine or a carrot freshly pulled from the earth know what a difference this makes.

"We think every town should have a farm," Cather said.

The CSA program relies on a large core of volunteers to work the land and shareholders, who both donate money and help in the field.

"Volunteers are a huge part of the farm," Cather said. Currently there are over 650 members of the organization and 250 shareholders. Volunteers do most of the work at the farm, which boasts only two year-round employees.

Starting every April, volunteers from local communities, service organizations, schools and businesses go to the farm to work in the fields doing everything from tilling the land, planting seeds and harvesting crops. Last year, the farm logged more than 3,000 man-hours of volunteer labor. In 2004, three different groups from Brandeis have made their way down to the farm to lend a hand.

"It's nice to get outside and do some work. You forget that food has to be grown, you don't simply go to Sherman to get it," said Audrey Etlinger, the programming director for the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), a group that formed last year at Brandeis. FIMRC went to the farm three separate times last spring to aid with planting crops and other farm chores. According to Etlinger, FIMRC wanted to do something different than the Waltham Group and volunteer somewhere they had not been. "We found a farm right in our backyard," Etlinger said.

For those who might not have the time to volunteer but would still like to support the farm in its mission, becoming a shareholder is an appealing option.

Shareholders make an annual contribution of $500 to the farm to "buy shares" of the produce being grown. For this contribution, they are given fresh produce 22 weeks of the year. They are given enough to feed two adults, the market value of which is placed at more than the price they pay.

"$500 does seem like a lot of money, but we really undervalue food in this country," Cather said. "There are many hidden costs associated with food that people don't know like shipping costs and field labor."

The farm also makes a priority to grow old or unusual varieties of produce for its shareholders. These are things that cannot be found in most supermarkets, such as heirloom tomatoes. Shareholders are also entitled to freshly cut flowers from the farm.

The farm also has a work-share program for community members like students and lower-income households who can't afford to pay the full price of being a shareholder. As a work-share member you volunteer to work on the farm at least one day a week in exchange for fresh produce. According to Cather, the farm strives to insure that all interested members of the community have access to the produce being grown.

The shareholder program is vital to the farm as 60 percent of the farm's budget comes directly from shareholder contributions.

"Shareholders have a chance to know the farmer, know the land, know the quality of the food, and support the cause," said Cather.

For students looking to volunteer, to learn more about agriculture, or simply to escape from the culinary black hole of Brandeis, the Waltham Field Community Farm might just offer the perfect opportunity. Cather said she is excited about the possibility of more Brandeis students getting involved with the farm. FIMRC will continue its relationship with the farm and will return to volunteer this coming spring. The farm also welcomes individuals and drop-in volunteers on certain days.



Editor's note: More information can be found on the farm's Web site at www.community farms.org. Other groups looking to get involved should e-mail the farm at waltham fields@community farms.org for more information.