About Us
We believe that an emphasis on soil health as well as freshness makes a real difference in the flavor, nutrition, shine, and storage quality of our produce. We collaborate with some of the region’s top chefs to develop our crop varietal selections and harvest techniques. Our goals are to grow some of the nicest produce that you’ve ever seen or tasted; to be active participants in a vibrant local food economy; and to take care of our farmland, staff, and customers to the best of our ability.
We grow our produce using sustainable agricultural practices; free of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. We work to build our fields’ soil fertility and beneficial microbial activity by using natural composts, certified organic fertilizers, cover crops, and mineral amendments. We have chosen to forgo the USDA’s organic certification process, but invite you to trust us that we grow our produce using ecologically and socially responsible methods, on par with current organic standards.
Our Story
Germination: In 1975, when farm owner Chris Kurth was a mere babe, his family moved to a nineteenth-century Sudbury farmhouse and started settling in. Chris grew up helping tend gardens, fruit trees, and a collage of farm animals his family raised for home consumption. In 1998, after studying biology, philosophy, and environmental studies at Williams College, Farmer Chris started a five-acre CSA farm on his parents’ fields and named it Meadow Brook Farm. After four years of developing Meadow Brook he accepted a farm instructor’s position at The Farm School in Athol, MA, during which time he met and married his wife Ana Sortun, chef/owner of Oleana and Sofra Bakery in Cambridge, MA, and partner in Sarma in Somerville, MA. The birth of Ana’s and Chris’ daughter in 2005, named Siena, marked a new incarnation of the farm — Siena Farms.
Growth: Over the last twenty years we’ve grown to our current scale of 50 acres of diversified produce, serving our CSA members, chefs, and retail customers, year-round in Boston’s South End and at the Boston Public Market. In recent years, we launched our Community Sponsored Farm Shares and Employer Sponsored Farm Shares to expand access to our produce for households throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New York City.
Harvest: Of course, we couldn’t have achieved any of this without our dedicated staff and wonderfully supportive customers, family, and friends — so, thank you, Cheers, and Happy Cooking!
Meet Our Team
Chris Kurth
Owner/Farmer
Farmer Chris got hooked on farming in the mid-90's as a student of biology, philosophy and environmental studies at Williams College, and never turned back. He loves growing food on the Massachusetts farmland he grew up on, and is so touched by all the support the farm has felt over the years from family, friends, and our amazing community of customers. When not bouncing between staff meetings, office duties, and field tours, Farmer Chris loves to cultivate carrots for 8 hours straight; bring surprise veggies home for Chef Ana to cook with; watch their daughter Siena ride her horse Legacy around the farm; roughhouse with Legacy's best friend Aggie the Cow; and go on field romps with Farm Pup Rory!
Mike Sushchyk
Farm Manager
Mike oversees all farm related activities and operations year-round, from farm infrastructure improvements to planning and executing the crop plan. Mike has over a decade of farming experience, eight of those years spent right here at Siena Farms. Mike developed and honed his skills in western MA working on large scale organic farms while getting an education from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst, majoring in Sustainable Food & Farming. Mike's primary focus in agriculture is growing quality, nutritious food in a sustainable manner that is good for the earth, the environment, and the people who enjoy the food he grows. On any given day you can find Mike out on a tractor working the land, in his shop/office making repairs, or around the farm facility working on updates and improvements.
Laura Sullivan
Senior Production Manager
Before joining the team at Siena Farms, Laura had been working on diversified vegetable and fruit farms throughout Massachusetts since she was in high school. She earned a B.S. in plant genetics and plant breeding from Cornell University, where she was a research assistant working with apple breeding and gained experience working in large scale agriculture. Her interests in farming are focused on reduced tillage systems and diversification of crops, specifically fruit crops.
Ruby Kohn
Business Manager
Ruby is passionate about engaging with her community through food and local agriculture with the ultimate goal of alleviating food insecurity. She loves finding creative ways to use seasonal produce in the kitchen and believes there is no greater joy than sharing a home cooked meal with friends and family.
Interested in joining our team? Click here to view our available positions.