Gaining Ground

Gaining Ground has been cultivating Concord land for twenty years. We began operating in 1994 as a small garden on private land. In 1997, we began managing the reproduction kitchen garden at The Old Manse, a Trustees of Reservations property. In 1999, we established our main farm adjacent to the Thoreau birthplace house on Virginia Road. In 2009, w... e expanded operations to an adjacent field under license from Massport. In total, Gaining Ground manages approximately 20 acres of land, actively cultivating about five acres each growing season. We grow over 150 varieties of produce, including asparagus and raspberry beds established in 2011. Gaining Ground has proven itself to be a responsible steward to the land and documents its management and land improvements in annual reports to the Natural Resources Commission. Over the years, Gaining Ground has made significant improvements to its farm operations. In 2005, we constructed a greenhouse. A year later, we brought electricity to the fields and installed electric fences to control nuisance wildlife. In 2009, we added a sugaring operation and erected a small building for boiling maple syrup. In 2012 we purchased a tractor to give us control over our field preparation and management schedule. As part our long-term strategy to increase the fertility and yield of the land, we added irrigation and deer fencing in 2014 and most recently a post and beam barn for storage and shelter.Read More