The mission of Newhall Fields is to provide organically and sustainably-grown fresh, healthy produce & herbs to North Shore families facing food scarcity while strengthening community bonds by offering volunteer farming and outdoor education opportunities.
Newhall Fields is a two acre non-profit regenerative community farm located on leased land at Tillie’s Farm, a 17 acre farm in South Peabody that was managed by Newhall Family for over 100 years. Tillie’s Farm Stand and the full acreage are now owned and operated by the City of Peabody, which holds a conservation restriction on the land with Essex County Greenbelt. This guarantees that this land will remain in agricultural use for generations to come.
Newhall Fields aims to grow the most nutritious produce and herbs by utilizing organic and regenerative agricultural practices to care for the soil, many of which mirror historic Indigenous methods. This includes working cooperatively with our ecosystem, using crop rotations, low and no-till soil management, as well as focusing on biodiversity and native plantings. The farm consists of annual vegetable fields, a perennial herb garden, multiple hedgerows, a propagation greenhouse, and an off-grid herbal hoop house.
We intend to increase production yearly in order to scale up and meet the growing needs of our community. Through all activities, Newhall Fields fosters community spirit and encourages hands-on learning by cultivating community connections, volunteerism, education, and public events.
Land Acknowledgement We recognize that this land was home to the Naumkeag band of the Massachusett/Pawtucket Tribes. For centuries this community moved through and lived upon this land. They followed the seasons, hunted, fished, raised families, grieved for their dead, nourished their living, shared the stories of their ancestors and considered themselves the caretakers of this area. I ask you to join me in acknowledging the Massachusett/Pawtucket community, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations.*
*Courtesy of Marblehead Museum