NATICK COMMUNITY ORGANIC FARM INC

Lynda Simkins was hired as the Farm’s Director in 1980. In the decades since, NCOF has become an integral part of the Town of Natick’s geographic and agricultural landscape and a rich center of community life. Parents bring their babes in arms and toddlers to NCOF to first see farm animals. Gardeners come here in the spring to buy organic seedlings that suit our climate and growing season. Families come to purchase fresh, locally-grown, certified-organic produce, meats, eggs, and maple syrup. School-aged children take field trips to study nutrition and the life cycle of plants and animals. Middle school, high school, and college children work in the summer, or on school vacations, or to complete their community service hours. People of special or differing abilities come to do meaningful work and contribute to their community. Thousands of students, volunteers, and community members spanning several generations have now been introduced to the importance of open productive space, organic agriculture, and supporting local farms and farmers. NCOF has served as both a model and a source of inspiration and practical information for several educational- and community-based organic farms in Massachusetts, in Athol, Medway, Cohasset, Concord, Waltham, and Newton, as well as for farms across the country. Lynda retired in June of 2018. Today, under the direction of Executive Director Casey Townsend, NCOF serves as a tireless advocate for organic agriculture and our environment, while championing community and personal growth.