Harvest Farm

“I was called to farming at the age of three,” says David Wojciechowski. “My family had a garden and we had relatives that lived on farms. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do.” In the mid-seventies, David met Gary Gemme who had a similar passion for farming. Harvest Farm was born. The business partners rented land until 1979 when they bought 20 acres in Whatley, Massachusetts. The two friends grew produce at first for a roadside stand and then for area co-ops including the Amherst Co-op, the New England Food Co-op, and the Boston Co-op. Harvest farm was also a founding member of the Pioneer Valley Growers Co-op.

Today, Harvest Farm has a total of 100 acres in cultivation. They grow a wide range of vegetables, including Brussels sprouts on the stalks which are sold through Red Tomato. “We are always trying something new,” says David of their crops. This year they are experimenting with a specialty eggplant from Brazil called “Jilo”, which is pale green and looks like an egg and the “Maxixe” cucumber from the West Indies. Along with trying new varieties, David and Gary are constantly trying to reduce their pesticide use to keep their soil and water healthy.

On the farm, David is the main greenhouse grower. In peak season, he shifts gears to coordinate the labor and most of the sales on the farm. Gary operates the tractors, does the field planting, spraying, cultivation and anything mechanical. Gary’s daughter is also following in his footsteps, spending her summer vacations working for Harvest Farm and learning from her father. Gary’s mother also helps out by packing tomatoes through the summer season and all of David’s children worked and grew up on the farm.

Collaboration and teamwork are a big part of Harvest Farm’s success. “Farming is rarely a solo operation,” says David. “Along the way, we’ve always had people helping out. It’s not always the case, but usually there is a group of people behind a farm who make it run.”