Fresh Westborough Produce: From Farm to Your Table

You’re probably aware by now of the growing interest in local organic farming. Local produce tastes better, it’s good for your health, and it’s good for the earth.

What you may not know is that we have several farms, pick-your-owns (PYO) and CSAs right here in Westborough. A CSA, or Consumer Supported Agriculture, is a membership-based farming model in which sharers pay upfront to buy a season’s share of the farm’s produce. Members then come to the farm weekly to pick up a share of what’s been harvested that week. A CSA is a partnership between consumer and farmer, where both share the risks and rewards of local agriculture.

Heirloom Harvest Community Farm of Westborough is one such CSA farm, and it is certified organic. Heirloom Harvest is a 17-acre, family-owned farm located off 135 behind . The CSA, which has over 200 members, offers sharers 22 weeks of the farm’s abundant harvest. On any given week, sharers will receive from 8 to 15 items of produce, ranging from kohlrabi and greens to watermelons and pumpkins. Owner John Mitchell said that this is their seventh season of farming the fertile, sandy soil, and encouraged anyone interested in learning more about the CSA to go to the website and join the wait list.

Nourse Farm, off Route 30, offers an abundance of fresh, hand-harvested fruits and vegetables. While not strictly organic, the 140-acre Nourse Farm has been a working farm since 1722, and is the tenth oldest family business in the country. The owners are descendants of Rebecca Nurse, who was prosecuted unjustly during the Salem witch trials. Nourse Farm offers a 20-week CSA, with an added bonus to members: you can choose what produce you want in your share. Nourse also offers a farmstand on site, with a variety of preserves, produce and dairy items, as well as PYO fruit in the fields. Gooseberries, black currants, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are available in season. See the website for more information or for an application. 

Tucked away on Emery Road, off Chestnut Lane, is a hidden jewel. It’s Emery Family Farm, a 10-acre family-run farm, owned by Westborough selectman Leigh Emery and Timothy Buckalew. The farm is managed by their sons, Wesley and Blake, who enthusiastically oversee every detail of the farmland that’s been family-owned for over 100 years. In addition to fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits, the farm produces fresh roasting chickens and fresh eggs, with plans to expand in the making. The farm is in their first season of offering limited CSA shares, and at press date, some shares are still available. Contact the farm by Facebook to be added to the CSA list. 

One easy way to sample produce from all three farms and other local vendors is to visit the Westborough Farmer’s Market, held every Thursday afternoon from 1 to 6 p.m. on the front lawn of the in downtown Westborough. See website for a list of farmstands and vendors respresented. Keep it local!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page.