A newly-formed Island coalition is working on a possible deal to buy the former Thimble Farm property, take it out of private ownership and make it a nonprofit working farm with housing for farm workers.
Called the Martha’s Vineyard Farm Project, the group hopes to raise $2.5 million to buy the land and buildings at the farm in the Iron Hill area off the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road that is home to Whippoorwill Farm, a large community-supported agriculture operation.
Whippoorwill Farm owner Andrew Woodruff, who leases the property, said this week that the owner of the property has given him until the end of the year to put in motion a plan and fund-raising schedule.
“We have an opportunity to have a community working farm and save Thimble Farm,” agricultural society president Dale McClure said at a meeting held at the Agricultural Hall on Monday night to announce the partnership. Other members of the group include the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and the Island Housing Trust.
“Some of our farmland is in danger of becoming estates because they are only semipreserved,” Whippoorwill Farm advisory board chairman Alice Early said at the meeting.
Still in the early stages — and if the money can be raised — the plan calls for Sheriff’s Meadow to take ownership of 37 acres of farmland, while the agricultural society would own the building envelope on the property that includes a one-acre greenhouse and surrounding farm buildings. The Island Housing Trust would build housing on an undeveloped parcel of land on the northern edge of the property to shelter seasonal and year-round Vineyard farm workers.
The farm property is currently owned by National Football League executive vice president Eric Grubman, a seasonal Island resident. Mr. Grubman bought the property in 2007 for $2.45 million, saving it from being sold to a private owner and taken out of food production.
Begun in 2001, Mr. Woodruff’s CSA was the first program of its kind on the Vineyard and currently has between 400 and 500 share members.
When Mr. Grubman bought the farm, Mr. Woodruff agreed to develop a long-term plan for the property. And now the time has come to finish the plan; Mr. Grubman has said he no longer wants to own the property, members of the farm project said on Monday night. He could not be reached for comment this week. At the Monday meeting it also was reported that Mr. Grubman has committed to making a donation to the project; the amount has not been disclosed.
Sheriff’s Meadow has offered to collect donations for the project although the foundation will do no fund-raising of its own, said executive director Adam Moore.
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank bought the development rights to the farm in 2000 and currently holds an agricultural preservation restriction on the land. The APR restricts use of the property to agriculture which by definition includes equestrian or tree farming. The farm project group would like to change the APR language to restrict the property to food production.
Land bank executive director James Lengyel had no comment about the plan.
The plan would include some kind of lease agreements for the farmland and greenhouses, but the details have not been worked out yet.
“I think it would be key to link the fields lease to whomever is leasing the buildings because that infrastructure is really important,” said Mr. Moore. “Perhaps there is variability on the term of the lease. Maybe it’s best to have a short-term lease, maybe it’s better to have a longer-term lease to enable the farmer to have more investment in the property. A number of things are possible at this point.”
Mr. Woodruff said the project is not about his farm but the future of Vineyard farmland.
“At this point in the stage of the process it’s really important for me — as much as I care about the CSA, it’s critical for me to see the land protected in perpetuity and be accessible to farmers,” he said. “At some point there’s going to be a transition or transfer, there’s a lot to work out, personally and financially.”
The farm project is looking for volunteers to help with planning, marketing, fund-raising and project administration. Anyone who is interested is asked to e-mail info@whippoorwillfarmcsa.com, or telephone 508-693-5995.
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