The public is invited to tour the 120-acre Hoyt Farm in Merrimac, currently leased to local farmers Wally and Steph Lesiczka who own and operate Wally’s Vegetables in Haverhill.
Essex County Greenbelt is working to protect Hoyt Farm, which they call, one of the largest remaining unprotected single-ownership farms in the Merrimack Valley. Greenbelt has so far protected 22 acres of forestland on the property, but has until this June to secure the remaining 100 acres.
“In addition to preserving this vibrant farm for agricultural use and ensuring access to fresh, locally grown food, protecting the property will enable Greenbelt to expand public trails, safeguard wetlands that feed the East Meadow River—Haverhill’s primary drinking water source—and help mitigate the impacts of climate change,” says Vanessa Johnson-Hall, Greenbelt’s director of land conservation.
A former dairy farm, the property has been continuously farmed for more than 200 years, with the same family tending the land for the past century.
Tours take place Wednesday, April 30, at 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m., gathering near 73 Birch Meadow Road, Merrimac. Registration takes place online at ecga.org/hoyt-farm.