Now growing at Houlden Farm: Produce, parking, animals, and family tradition
There’s something special growing at Houlden Farm this year — Houlden Farm itself.
Houlden Farm, which opens its familiar stone farm stand for the season on April 5, is becoming a true agribusiness this year, something brothers Tyler and Trevor Houlden have had in the works even before the farm became a bright spot to find much-needed groceries during the early weeks of COVID-19 in 2020.
“We had people coming in who never had before,” said Tyler, who found himself chatting with customers from as far away as Spencer, Paxton, and Hudson. “And it was nice to see in the summer, that a lot of those people kept coming back.”
Vegetables are already planted inside a greenhouse at Houlden Farm. 
Tyler and Trevor Houlden have big plans for the family farm, including a new CSA program. 
Goats bleat for attention at Houlden Farm, which will feature more animals in 2021. 
Tyler and Trevor Houlden have big plans for the family farm, including a new CSA program. 
The stone farm stand at Houlden Farm started life as a dairy. 
Pigs are now among the farm animals at Houlden Farm. COURTESY PHOTO 
Snow may be the only crop at Houlden Farm right now, but an all-new farm experience is planned for the 2021 season.
What will bring them back this year? Earlier this month, they launched the farm’s first CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture), allowing supporters to pay ahead for farm products in exchange for weekly boxes of produce during growing season. While that first round has closed, they are considering a fall CSA.
“We want to see what people want for the CSA,” Tyler said. “If people are going to put in for it, I want to make sure everyone gets what they signed up for — a wide variety of fresh produce.”
Houlden Farm has been in the family for generations, beginning as a dairy farm before changing the grassy pastures into acres of crops. Tyler and Trevor have been there their entire lives, taking over running the operation more than seven years ago. The farm stand started life as a milking house. Now the brothers are in the process of turning an old barn into a larger farm stand, as well as adding a parking lot to get customers off the corner of Old Westboro Road and Wesson Street.
Also expanding: the farm’s mission. Pigs now make their home near the friendly goats and other kid-friendly animals will join them. There will be walking trails winding around the crops, seasonal events including a sunflower field and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, and a food truck featuring farm-to-table dishes.
“We want this town to be a Right-to-Farm Community,” Tyler said. “We’re trying to keep the tradition going, grow our business, and do something good for the town.”
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This news makes me so happy, for all Grafton residents and this incredibly hard working family. The Houlden Family is a great asset to the Town and now we can really show them our respect and support.