O'Brien Farm

07/18/2026

We had a great first week of summer camp!

Bonnie Benjamin of the Athol Bird and Nature Club had fun with the kids and "creepy crawlies," we were visited by an etymologist, Mark Brighenti of the Massachusetts Environmental Police, made worm farms, visited with a newborn calf, and had a pizza party.

Thank you to the families who signed up and our wonderful counselors, Heather and Jessica.

Thank you to our generous of our sponsors who allow us to run the camp at a low cost to families: Witty's Funeral Home , Dean's Beans, Petersham Pump, Heyes Forest Products, Orange Oil, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Linda and Arthur Wentworth.

07/05/2026

Knee-high by the fourth of July? It all depends on who your farmer is! Happy Independence Day!

07/04/2026

Peas are in! Lots of Sugar Snaps are in the garden and the farmstand!

06/18/2026

I had great helpers to pick garlic scapes this year, and they're available right now at the farmstand! Our oldest declared that garlic scapes are his favorite vegetable, he makes sure we always freeze a few pounds for the winter. The season is short on these, get them while they last!

05/27/2026

A huge thank you to Dean's Beans for becoming a sponsor of our 2026 Farm and Forest Summer Camp! Pictured here is Betsy accepting the certificate of appreciation on behalf of the company. Thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors, we have met our fundraising goals and can continue to offer the camp at a low cost to families.

This year's sponsors include: Witty's Funeral Home, Dean's Beans, Petersham Pump, Heyes Forest Products, Orange Oil, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Linda and Arthur Wentworth.

We still have a few spots available in the first and second sessions. You can register your camper by visiting obrienfarmma.com/camp. The camp runs M-F, 9-12. The cost is $50 for the week.

05/19/2026

The twice-a-week pallet schlepping paid off; we made it to the soil board at Greenfield Farmers Co-op! Last, but not least! Our compost bags are available at the Co-Op and you can return them there, too!

05/13/2026

We waited as long as we could to move the mobile chicken coop from our farmstand parking area. We loved having them nearby and so many customers loved seeing them, too. But the grass is getting tall (finally!) and so we moved our breeding flock of Buff Orpingtons across the street on pasture. The chickens are so happy to have green grass to eat. I love watching them!

At the same time, we retired our old rooster and introduced Rupert to the flock. In January, we traveled to the Poultry Congress at Eastern States in a snowstorm in search of a nice show rooster to boost the genetics of our flock and came home with him. He is so fancy! Just look at those tail feathers! In three weeks, we will start incubating eggs he fertilized.

Feel free to cross the road and say "hi" to the chickens next time you stop in!

04/30/2026

04/12/2026

Our 2026 Farm and Forest summer camp registration is now open! You can learn more about our camp and enroll at www.obrienfarmma.com/camp. A special thank you to our 2026 business sponsors for their donations. Their generosity allows us to offer the camp at a low cost to families: Witty's Funeral Home and Heyes Forest Products.

Our fundraising efforts are on-going: if you're an individual or business owner able to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please see our camp website or stop by the farm for a paper form.

Thank you to everyone who has made our camp possible for the past few years. We're looking forward to a great summer on the farm!

04/03/2026

Hi cow friends,

We are reducing our herd and have 8 bred heifers to sell, some are close up, a few are short bred. All are registered. If you're looking to add to your herd, call the barn 978-544-1195.