Applefield Farm Sale
Steven and Kirsten Mong put Applefield Farm in Stow up for sale last year after running the 25-acre agricultural operation for the last 45 years, WBUR News reported.
It’s kind of sad that I don’t have the enthusiasm to keep going,
Steven Mong said, according to WBUR News. I’m 71. We’re getting too old for this. [This farm] needs … some youngsters.
Aging Farming Population
Massachusetts features nearly five times more farmers over the age of 65 than under the age of 34, according to 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture census data cited by WBUR News. The average age of a state farmer reached nearly 60, up from 51 years old in 1982.
The Mongs’ four children chose not to take over the family business. Both of my kids when they were young wanted to work at the farm until they actually did the work, and then they realized, ‘Oh, it’s hot. Picking green beans stinks, you know? You’re supposed to fill the bucket up? Forget about it,’
Ray Mong told WBUR News.
Farmland Loss in New England
New England lost about 19 acres of farmland a day between 2001 and 2016, amounting to 14 football fields daily, according to an American Farmland Trust report cited by WBUR News. Land for Good manager Rachel Brice told WBUR News that when generational farms lack successors, properties often face conversion into housing or commercial developments.
I don’t think people often understand the importance of that farmland to our food system, to our agricultural economy, and how many jobs are tied up in the agricultural economy,
Brice said, as reported by WBUR News.
Tim Offei-Addo’s Bid
Tim Offei-Addo, a 29-year-old Ghanaian American who operates the nearby 25-acre Abrantie Farm in Boxborough, plans to purchase Applefield Farm. Offei-Addo grows non-traditional crops like lemongrass, hibiscus, African eggplant, and ginger alongside standard produce to supply customers of color and diverse communities.
Applefield Farm was listed for $650,000, while the average price of Massachusetts farmland sits at $906,940 according to agricultural census figures reported by WBUR News. Offei-Addo intends to apply for loans and conduct fundraising to finance the acquisition.
Transition to Early 2027
The purchase remains ongoing, with both parties targeting a closing date by early 2027. The Mong family plans to spend several years teaching Offei-Addo crop cultivation and business management following the sale.
I want to show people that it’s possible to run a business like this in this day and age,
Offei-Addo told WBUR News.
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