Verrill Farm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Verrill Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Massachusetts | |
| Town/City | Concord |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 42°25′29″N 71°22′27″W / 42.42462°N 71.37421°W |
| Established | 1918 |
| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Status | Open to the public |
Verrill Farm is a farm on Wheeler Road in Concord, Massachusetts, United States. Established by Floyd and Amy Verrill in 1918,[1] its 200 acres (81 ha) of land dates back to colonial times. It is known for its rows of sunflowers.[2][3] Its farmhouse was built in 1840.[1]
The Verrills founded The Dairy, an ice-cream parlor, in partnership with James DeNormandie of nearby Lincoln.[4][5] DeNormandie's Guernsey cattle provided their milk until his farm and herd were destroyed by fire in 1954.[6] Floyd Verrill began building pastures of clover, timothy-grass, bluegrass and alfalfa in 1929.[7] The following year, he had around 100 cows.[8]
The farm began hosting an annual Harvest Festival in 2006. Its proceeds benefit Emerson Hospital in Concord.[9]
In 1982, the farms land was placed under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction, which prevented development from occurring.[10]
Steve Verrill, grandson of the original owner, took over the farm in 1957, upon his graduation from Cornell University.[1] He sold the farm's dairy herd in 1990.[10][11]
Jennifer Verrill, Steve's daughter, and her husband, Tim, now own the farm. Their daughters are the fourth generation of the family to work on the farm.[10]