Top and middle,
Willow Spring
grows a variety
of grapes.
Bottom,
Marshview Farm
in early summer.
Opposite page,
Cider Hill Farm
in Amesbury has
a number of
DIY programs.
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Local farms have always been beloved places
for North Shore residents to find fresh, locally
grown food and connect with the abundance
of our region. We cherish participating in tra-
ditional agricultural activities, too, like apple
picking, hayrides, and feeding farm animals.
But this spring, of course, is different. As
the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic emp-
ties grocery shelves, shutters businesses, and
disrupts supply chains, local farms feel more
important than ever before.
"The local food system sometimes gets
taken for granted, but it's good to know that
local food production is happening," says Jamie
Barrett, farmer and CSA manager at Marsh-
view Farm in Ipswich (marshview.farm), which
is operating a CSA for the first time this year.
In fact, farm workers were among those
PHOTOGRAPHS
COURTESY OF WILLOW SPRING VINEYARDS (TOP AND MIDDLE),
COURTESY OF MARSHVIEW FARM (BOTTOM)