Armistead Farm

Armistead Farm Armistead Farm is a nonprofit community farm in Franklin, TN, rooted in land the Short family has farmed since 1887.

We grow food, build connection, and create educational experiences for our community. Market garden, CSA, and more launching soon. 🌾

08/21/2026

A farm built to last. Rooted in the belief that preserving this land means investing in the people and community it serves.

A fourth-generation steward of his family’s Williamson County farm, Bill Short has spent his life caring for the land hi...
08/19/2026

A fourth-generation steward of his family’s Williamson County farm, Bill Short has spent his life caring for the land his ancestors first cultivated in 1887.

As the last one to grow up on this busy farm and having a family who were all community leaders, he’s dedicated himself to preserving farmland, strengthening the local agricultural community, and carrying forward his family’s legacy of stewardship.

Today, Bill (lovingly nicknamed “Bilbo” by his friends and family) is helping shape the next chapter of that legacy through Armistead Farm. Serving as the nonprofit's Board Vice-Chair, he’s transforming his family’s historic farm into a place where fresh food, education, and community can flourish for generations to come.

Currently, Bill is enjoying his 51st year at Rhodes College in Memphis, where he is the Associate Director of the Barret Library. With his institutional memory, he is also the college's archivist.

Bill’s unwavering commitment to the land and to Franklin has inspired the vision behind Armistead Farm. His story is one of honoring the past while planting seeds for the future.

In 2014, Westbrook Farm (now known as Armistead Farm) was officially recognized as a Tennessee Century Farm by the state...
08/11/2026

In 2014, Westbrook Farm (now known as Armistead Farm) was officially recognized as a Tennessee Century Farm by the state of Tennessee, honoring more than 100 years of continuous family farming. 🌾

More than a century of sunrises over these fields. More than a century of hard work, stewardship, and a single family's dedication to caring for this land.

That story isn’t finished. Every season is another chapter, built on the same commitment to care for this land with intention and ensure it remains a place where history is honored, agriculture is celebrated, and future generations can experience the enduring legacy of a working farm.

From honoring this land's history to nourishing the community that surrounds it, these six values shape every decision w...
07/30/2026

From honoring this land's history to nourishing the community that surrounds it, these six values shape every decision we make at Armistead Farm.

Swipe through to see what they mean to us! đź’š

It's a big vision. But all big ideas start with something simple: a seed in the ground, a hand in the soil, a neighbor a...
07/27/2026

It's a big vision. But all big ideas start with something simple: a seed in the ground, a hand in the soil, a neighbor at the table.

Right now, that means clearing ground, planning rows, and laying the foundation for a market garden. One season at a time, we're building towards a farm that will last generations.

Picture year-round production of vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and specialty crops using high tunnel growing and totally sustainable practices.

Same ground, but a whole revived purpose. 🌱

Jim Short didn't choose this land. It chose him. Five generations ago!His great-great-grandfather bought this land in 18...
07/23/2026

Jim Short didn't choose this land. It chose him. Five generations ago!

His great-great-grandfather bought this land in 1887 and called it Westbrook Farm. His grandparents built the farmhouse in 1937. His father grew up here running through hay fields, milking dairy cows, and eating from the family's kitchen garden. Four generations of roots, right here in Franklin.

Jim spent his career teaching. First biology in the classroom, then leading national efforts to reshape how science gets taught. What did he learn along the way? People understand things best when they get their hands in them. When they experience something directly, not just read about it in a textbook.

Sound familiar? It's the same lesson this land has been teaching for over a century!

Armistead is Jim's family's way of honoring that legacy. Opening this ground back up to the community it always belonged to. We're growing food, building connections, and creating something for Franklin to gather around, today and for generations still to come.

Pictured here alongside Jim in front of the hay barn is his son Will, representing the farm's fifth and sixth generations, carrying out our mission hand in hand.

Legacy in the ground. Community at the table. That's what we're growing here at Armistead Farm.
07/20/2026

Legacy in the ground. Community at the table. That's what we're growing here at Armistead Farm.

139 years of family farming. One new chapter begins. 🌾This land, with its extensive history, is taking on a brand new pu...
07/17/2026

139 years of family farming. One new chapter begins. 🌾

This land, with its extensive history, is taking on a brand new purpose.

To catch you up, Armistead Farm is a nonprofit organization in Franklin, Tennessee, founded on land the Short family has farmed since 1887. Recognized as a Tennessee Century Farm, it carries more than a century of agricultural heritage, and today, that legacy is being put to work in a new way.

Across 48 acres within the city limits of Franklin, the Farm sits at the heart of a growing community: a place where food is grown, people come together, and learning happens through direct connection to the land.

The same ground that fed one family for generations is now open to feed and gather an entire community. 🌱

Follow along to learn more about our mission.

Address

1740 New Highway 96 West
Franklin, TN
37064

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