Land’s Sake Farm welcomes new executive director

The fields at Land’s Sake Farm sing to Eden Leonard. That’s how the new executive director of the non-profit described her first time on the grounds.

“The crew was sitting outside having lunch. There were people picking flowers…it has this familiar rhythm that was intriguing,” she said. “I was struck by the power of this place to nourish and to welcome. I was captivated.”

Leonard joined Land’s Sake Farm in September. She came to Weston after serving as executive director of the World Ocean School, a Boston non-profit that provides experiential learning for children at sea. There, she built the organization’s national reputation, strengthened the budget and steered professional development for her employees. Now she is ready for a new chapter.

Although Leonard spent 16 years with World Ocean School, she was a farmer long before she gained her sea legs. Leonard grew up in Oregon, where her family grows grass seed.

“It’s a very different farming style than what I grew up with, but the values and culture are the same,” she said. “There’s a focus on work ethic, an appreciation of hard work and the resilience in adapting to conditions or surprising seasons.”

She has worked side-by-side with her staff in the field harvesting scallions and radishes, but the main focus of her job lies in ensuring the non-profit’s longevity. While much of the focus during former executive director Pam Hess’ time was on growth, Leonard wants to ensure Land’s Sake can continue to feed people as well as provide a space for Weston residents to visit for decades to come.

A cornerstone of Land’s Sake’s mission is hunger relief. The farm donates around 30% of its produce to food assistance programs in the state. 

“Massachusetts is experiencing the biggest food security crisis, maybe in its history,” Leonard said. “To be able to nourish the community with very nutritious food…is just a gift.”

The farm also sells produce at the farmstand and through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, which allows people to buy a share of the farm’s produce throughout the year. Land’s Sake offers a wide variety of vegetables and flowers because it grows different species throughout its rows. Beyond providing a wider range of products, Leonard said the practice is good for the soil.

“The thing that strikes me about farming here is the scale,” Leonard said. “The farm I grew up on was hundreds of acres of a single crop, and here I’m really struck by the power of the diversified farming landscape. You can steward the land…through different rows of vegetables.”

Leonard was struck by how much the space already means to both staff and Weston residents. When the farm stand is closed, she said she still sees families that come to take in the land. She hopes to continue Land’s Sake’s role in town as a place to gather through both day-to-day activities and special events.

“It’s clear that this is a community gem and really well loved,” Leonard said. “My vision is to continue to nourish the community [through] the actual food we sell or donate, but also in nourishing the community by having a space where people can come and see each other in real life and feel the breezes and smell the flowers.”

As part of Leonard’s effort to get to know the community, she has opened a survey for farm guests: forms.gle/Akk2A1RB1MTfVax18.