Valley Bounty: New farm with an old-fashioned feel: Moody Family Farm in Bernardston opens their farm stand this month

When farming is in the family, the land calls no matter where else life takes you. Aaron Moody, owner-operator of Moody Family Farm, was born in Greenfield, and from the beginning, he knew that he loved working with animals. Three generations of Moody’s family farmed, and young Moody occasionally worked at his uncle’s dairy farm while growing up.

Moody became a teacher and married. Eventually, Stephanie and Aaron Moody landed in Keene, New Hampshire, as caretakers for a nonprofit agricultural education center called Stonewall Farm. Here, Aaron Moody raised cattle for beef and produced hay.

Eventually, the Moodys wanted their own farm and sought available properties for multigenerational living. Their search brought them to the Perry Farm in Bernardston: a historic farm on Route 5 sporting a federal-style house that was built in 1790. The couple moved to Bernardston in December 2024, and they are poised to open their farm stand this month, selling high-quality beef and more.

While the Bernardston property is new to the family, working with cattle was not. Aaron Moody explains, “We’ve been directly raising our own cattle for about 10 years, starting with Holstein bull calves from Stonewall Farm, moving to belted Galloways and Angus before settling on Herefords for their size, temperament, and adaptability to conditions.”

The farmer explains how they are starting their herd. “We currently have 13 cows, including five cow-calf pairs. One mama had two calves with us here. We also have a bull and a heifer. We plan to grow to about 30 head to fit within our available pasture,” says Moody.

After their tenure at Stonewall Farm, the couple is well acquainted with rotational grazing, and their goal is to improve the quality of the hay they grow in their pastures. As the Moody family reclaims the fallow farmland, they are putting up fenced enclosures, or paddocks, to keep animals safe while they finish building fences on the overall property.

Moody Family Farm is raising cattle for meat, and they are raising turkeys and chickens as well, creating a cycle that may improve the quality of the land as well. Aaron Moody notes, “We like to be as close to nature as possible, and let the livestock roam. We put out water, hay and minerals. During the summer, we have a plan to systematically move them from paddock to paddock, which helps manage the land.”

The general idea is the cattle graze in an area and then move on to the next paddock. Chickens and turkeys go behind the cattle to graze bugs while controlling weeds, breaking down manure, and improving the overall health of the pasture.

Moody believes that this natural cycle produces high-quality food for his family and community. He says, “We raise our animals humanely with minimal interference. We want them to live their best life while they are with us. We are restoring a dormant farm, so they are in a paddock more than we’d like as we continue to restore fence lines. We plan to rotationally graze and have them outside year-round, with access to indoor shelter.”

Generally, farming takes the long view, and the Moody family vision includes what they might grow on their pastures to feed their cattle. “We are big fans of cows grazing on a mix of native grasses. We find the beef tastes better than when feeding only one type of feed or grass,” he says.

Still getting started, the farm has supplemented with hay from nearby farms. “We’ve bought in hay from Everyday Farm in Bernardston, Manning Hill Farm in Winchester and Hillwind Farm in Leyden,” Moody says. “We’ve also used hay from my aunt and uncle’s dairy farm in New York state.” The family just started haying for this season and plans to produce their own hay going forward, including some for sale.

Moody Family Farm opens their farm stand in early June. Stephanie Moody says, “Our goal for our farm store is ‘simple and familiar,’ and we hope to offer a fun, down-home farm feel when everyone visits our store.” With an old-fashioned feel, Stephanie curates recipes to share with customers that use their farm-raised ingredients.

Stephanie Moody explains their farm stand will sell their beef, homemade snacks and quick foods, locally made crafts and other locally sourced foods. Currently, the farm sells beef boxes, quarters and halves.

Gratitude, joy, and respect for the past weave together this farm’s story. Aaron Moody credits assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, Franklin County Community Development Corporation, United States Department of Agriculture and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture for making the purchase and move to Bernardston possible.

Community and family are central to this farm’s launch. Aaron Moody points out that their children are the fifth generation of their family to farm. “Farming is a physically and emotionally demanding life,” he says. “I have had great mentors along the way.”

“We’re teachers. We are taking a leap of faith as a family,” Stephanie Moody says. “We have high hopes for our farm, but we haven’t been farming forever.” She explains the bigger picture, “As a wife, it brings me great joy to see my husband working in an environment that he loves and created. As a mom, I love seeing my boys grow up in a family-owned farm that feeds their work ethic and appreciation for seeing that hard work can serve our family and the community.”

Aaron Moody reflects on being outside at sunrise with the birds and cows. “Hopefully, I’m doing something that helps improve the earth, while caring for my family and community,” he says.

To purchase Moody Family beef, call 603-762-4119 or email [email protected]. Watch Facebook and Instagram for the announcement of their farm stand opening.

Lisa Goodrich is a Communications Coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). To find local beef and other local meat near you, check CISA’s online guide at buylocalfood.org.