Blue Heron Organic Farm is now closed.
Thank you so much for your support over the years!


Blue Heron Organic Farm
Lincoln, Massachusetts, 2001-2017



March, 2018

After 17 years as the farmer at Blue Heron Organic Farm on Route 117, I have decided it is time for me to move on to new ventures. I will always treasure my time on this land and I have loved working in my home town, and, at the same time, I am excited about moving on to new opportunities.

I started working on the Umbrello parcel of conservation land in 1993 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. The farm was then called Down to Earth Organic Farm (established in 1992) and I happily worked as an intern on the land in the summers from 1993–1998. I returned to the Umbrello Field in 2001 to start Blue Heron Organic Farm after Keith, of Down to Earth, left to begin a farm in western Massachusetts.

After running Blue Heron Organic Farm for two years, in 2003 I applied for official Organic Certification, and, in all, the land has been farmed organically since 1992. In 2005, after raising money through fundraisers held at the farm, I hired a company to dig a well and added electricity to the farm. Thanks to these generous donations irrigation and electricity are now available to the future farmers of the Umbrello Field.

I have countless people to thank for helping me make this dream of running a small organic farm in my home town a reality. Thank you so much to the town and the Conservation Commission for their support and encouragement over the years. Thank you for believing in me and for giving me this opportunity. Many thanks to Keith for teaching me how to farm in the 1990s and for encouraging me to start Blue Heron Organic Farm in 2001. Many thanks to my good friends who helped me on the farm harvesting pumpkins, picking up rocks and pounding in tomato stakes.

I wish to thank the customers who shopped at the farm stand, at the organic plant sales, and at the farmers markets. There are so many people I will remember not only for their loyalty and for returning to buy vegetables, flowers and plants every year, but also for their positive words of encouragement, support and kindness. I am so glad I had the opportunity to grow vegetables and flowers for you. Thank you so much. I will miss seeing you all at the farm and at the farmers markets.

Thank you to the groups of farm camp kids who helped me on Fridays every summer, I could always count on them to put a smile on my face and they have given me hope for the future. Thank you to all the volunteers and interns who worked on the farm with me. Farming isn't easy work, it's long days in the sun and rain, with endless weeding and harvesting. I appreciate everyone who worked with me in the field growing vegetables and flowers.

Thank you to the Lincoln Farmers Market and the Davis Square Farmers Market and to all the people involved in making these markets thrive.

Thank you to all the wonderful chefs who placed orders twice a week throughout the growing season. I will miss bringing fresh vegetables to you in your kitchens, hearing about your recipes, seeing your smiles and feeling your appreciation for fresh local foods. Thank you for supporting local farmers.

Thank you to the Lincoln farmers who shared encouragement and equipment and support. And thank you to the town for encouraging farmers to continue Lincoln's rich farming heritage.

And, last but not least, thank you to my family for believing in me and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Thanks to my brother for designing the farm's website and for being a great sibling.

I am grateful that I have known this beautiful field in all weather and seasons for almost 25 years. Most of my adult memories were created on this land and I have learned so much by working with the soil, hoping for rain, picking up rocks, chasing deer, planting, harvesting and learning from others. I am comforted knowing this land is forever protected and will always remain an open field. Thank you to the Conservation Commission, the Rural Land Foundation, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust for the important and incredible work you do in keeping Lincoln beautiful, wild and green.

I am excited to move on and explore other dreams and opportunities in new locations. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to farm these seven acres in Lincoln in my 20s and 30s.

Thank you very much,

Ellery Kimball,
Blue Heron Organic Farm
March 25th, 2018



P.S. If you would like a Blue Heron Organic Farm souvenir I am selling the last of the Blue Heron Organic Farm T-shirts for women and children. They are made in the USA and they run small (so please order a size up).
Here are the sizes and colors:
  • Kids t-shirts $10. Orange or baby blue: Sizes 8, 10, 12
  • Womens t-shirts $15. Orange, teal, baby blue, dark brown: Sizes S, M, L, XL (sold out of turquoise medium and light blue medium).
  • Mens t-shirts: sold out.
If you are interested in purchasing a souvenir t-shirt please send me an email to ellerywk@hotmail.com.



Thank you!
Email: ellerywk@hotmail.com

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