Our Purpose — To revitalize our local food system by cultivating an informed and engaged food community

Farming Falmouth is a young, fast-growing organization that supports local agriculture and believes in bringing people closer to where and how their food is grown. With some of the best soils on Cape Cod, and miles of waterfront, our coastal town has the potential to produce a diversity of food and seafood, and do it in thoughtful, fair and sustainable ways.  The more food we can grow locally-- on our farms, in our bays and estuaries, in schools, community gardens and backyards – the more we can lighten our environmental footprint and widen access to fresh food throughout  the community.

The  founding members of Farming Falmouth served on the working group that advocated for the purchase of Tony Andrews Farm, saving it from development and establishing it as permanent farmland. It was a historic moment, honoring Falmouth’s heritage, but also pointing to the future. We believe there are new opportunities to work with farmers and the community and help Falmouth realize its food-producing potential.   

Farming Falmouth is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations to Farming Falmouth are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.”

A CASE FOR SUPPORT

The Problem:

Only 3% of the food consumed in Massachusetts is grown locally. As a society, we have outsourced our nutrition to a large industrial system that prioritizes profits and efficiency – creating problems for our climate, human health, agricultural soils, animals, and our native pollinators. With its long supply chains, the current system is also increasingly vulnerable to disruption, whether from pandemics like Covid, or weather extremes and climate change. In light of these problems, in order to create a healthier, more resilient regional food system, Massachusetts and other New England states recently set a goal of collectively growing 30% of the region’s food.

At the same time, the Farm Census confirms the continued loss of farmland, an aging farm population, and the need for a new generation of farmers. And with that need comes the realization that young farmers face huge obstacles to accessing land, especially in areas such as ours where farmland is increasingly lost to development and increasingly expensive. We’ve joined the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts to start addressing those issues.

Goals

  • Goal: Preserve The Patch and other farmland parcels to make them accessible to a new generation of farmers.

  • Goal: Spearhead the production and distribution of more nutritious food grown locally in organic and sustainable ways.

  • Goal: Demonstrate and advocate for regenerative agricultural practices that build healthy soils, nourish our ecosystem and protect water.

  • Goal: Build partnerships with stakeholders in the food system, such as schools, government, food pantries, restaurants, and healthcare providers.