Blackbird Organics buys Marshfield farm

After five years of farming on leased land, Elise Magnant and Kagen Dewey became first-time farm owners when they bought 78 acres of open and wooded land on Maple Hill Road in Marshfield this fall. Dewey and Magnant run Blackbird Organics and produce organic-certified vegetables. 

They bought the land from Dorigen Keeney who worked closely with them to establish vegetable production on the farmland, and to support their land purchase.  

The new farm is just two miles from the land that Dewey and Magnant lease, and will continue to operate. “Thanks to VLT, we were lucky to find a property that worked for our business,” said Magnant, “without having to pivot to new markets or a new community – which was really great.”  

Dewey and Magnant established Blackbird Organics in 2018. They had been looking for a farm of their own when VLT connected them to Dorigen Keeney, who was looking to sell the Marshfield land that was originally conserved in 2007. Formerly a working farm, the open land on the property had been used for hay by an area farmer for many decades.  

“In this competitive real estate market, it’s incredibly challenging for farmers to buy land,” said VLT’s Farmland Access Director, Maggie Donin. “In partnership with landowners like Dorigen, VLT is here to help farmers navigate this landscape and access land more affordably.”  

“It is truly a privilege to be able to ensure that the Maple Hill farm will become a working farm once again and grow food for the community in perpetuity, thanks to the Vermont Land Trust,” said Keeney. “It is so exciting to see the new owners, Kagen and Elise, sustainably improve the soils with organic practices and grow some very impressive vegetables.” 

“Without the land trust and especially the [added protection to keep farmland available for farmers], financially speaking, land like this is not accessible to young farmers,” said Dewey. “That’s very much a reality. And because the land trust is going to be around forever, it guarantees that when it comes our turn to retire, we’re going to do the same thing – and this land will be financially accessible to the next generation of farmers after us.” 

Dewey and Magnant also credit Becky Madden of UVM Extension and Nikki Lennart, who is a Farm Business Specialist at the Intervale, with providing valuable support as they establish operations on Maple Hill and plan for the future.  

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About Vermont Land Trust  

Rooted in Vermont since 1977, the Vermont Land Trust unites land and lives for the enduring benefit of people and the place we share. We have protected more than 630,000 acres of land and foster life-long connections to farms, forests, and community spaces that define Vermont. Learn more at vlt.org.