Caleb and Kristina Coppola
Our Story
Ashby Pasture is a family farm owned and operated by Caleb and Kristina Coppola, along with their children and parents.
The 150-acre diversified farm is located in Ashby, MA, a picturesque small town in the center of the state near the New Hampshire border.
Ashby Pasture specializes in vegetables, fruit and herbs grown with organic practices.
The Coppola family purchased Ashby Pasture in 2018. The farm previously was operated as a horse breeding facility and prior to that as a summer estate.
Caleb and Kristina are first-generation farmers who grew up in the suburbs with parents who enjoyed gardening.
Caleb has a biology degree and enjoys the science that serves as the basis for biodiverse, sustainable farming practices.
Responsibly revitalizing the land
Our Approach
As a diversified farm, we seek to use all-natural and sustainable farming practices that work together to improve our land, reduce waste, provide a quality life for our animals, and ultimately, provide nutritious food for our community.
Food labels and marketing jargon can be confusing and overwhelming. So, we avoid them as much as possible. Instead, here are the commitments we make to ourselves and to our customers.
- Our produce is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, and we use organic fertilizers, compost and pest management practices.
- We use organic practices because we think it is the right thing to do to build the biodiversity of our farm and to provide the healthiest food for our customers – but we aren’t certified.
- We are a low-till farm. We primarily utilize raised beds for our produce and only till the ground when we are creating new garden space. This is crucial to building healthy soil, an important aspect of producing the best possible food.
- We use a rotational systems in the pasture and the woods for our animals, and they play an important part in the care and management of our fields and forest.
- All of our animals have daily access to outdoor space, in environments that encourage natural behavior and provide foraged food.
- We strive to work with our animals and nature to improve the farm. For instance, our pigs spend their time in our woods where they can root and dig. Our goats also have the opportunity to browse on the brush that grows around the edges of our fields. This is important because after years of inactive forest management, our woods have becomes overrun with invasive species. The pigs and goats enjoy food and activity that are most natural for them while also clearing damaging vines and bushes to allow our forest to thrive.
- We work with our local NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Services) office to ensure that we are utilizing best practices for our specific farmland.
- We purchase high quality feed to supplement the foraged food of our pastured animals, particularly during the winter months.
- We do not proactively use antibiotics for our animals. However, in the rare case that one of our animals gets sick, we believe it is the humane decision to work with a veterinarian to use antibiotics if necessary. Should antibiotics be used, all guidelines regarding withdrawal periods for food products are followed.
- Our animals are humanely processed at a local, USDA facility.
We believe that caring for our animals, our land and feeding our community is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. We appreciate that you care enough about where your food comes from to read more about our approach. Please contact us if you have any questions.
