Our Vision:
This farm was completely forested when we started it in 1988. Being young and energetic, we cleared a house site, then a horse paddock, then an orchard, and we just kept going. We opened up the clay bottom land and started ladling in horse manure. We planted more apple trees. We had our first commercial vegetable sales in 1992. Every year the farm got a little larger and a little more fertile. We added tile drains. We love the clay soil. It grows wonderful root crops and luscious greens. This is good land. It deserves to be farmed.
As we age, we are aware that we need to find new young farmers to pick up what we have begun. We want Clayfield Farm to continue as a farm far into the future, not necessarily as we have done it, maybe not even as Clayfield Farm, but we want the land to be farmed. We have been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to farm this land and we would like to see the next generation do it as well. Land is harder to come by these days and land with infrastructure is rare.
What we are looking for:
We are looking for farmers with commercial farming experience. We want people who identify as farmers. We plan to live here on the farm till the end of our lives and get planted in the cemetery here. We look forward to a close neighborly relationship with young farmers and would be available to help them meet our customers, both individuals and wholesale accounts. We look forward to the next iteration of Clayfield Farm.
The Business End:
We would like to lease the farm. We will draw up a one year lease and evaluate whether we want to continue after one year. We will then make a 3 year lease. After a new farmer has been here for 4 years we will make a more permanent option. The new farmers will develop and be in charge of their own business. You, as the leaseholder, will get a winterized house, access to tractors and other tools, and all the vegetables you can eat. All the profits you make will be your own.
Compatibility:
We are looking for good communicators who will honor the history of the farm and the farm community as they move into the future.
We want to continue the organic tradition of the farm but are open to new farming techniques.