Farm Family History
John and Anastazia Swartz purchased approximately 40 acres, located at 11 Meadow Road, Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1919. They both emigrated from Poland and worked on various
farms here in the Valley. Once settled on the "home farm," they operated a small dairy, raised tobacco, onions, and mixed vegetables. They also raised 5 children on the farm.
During the 1950's, John's sons Walter and John took over the operation and begain raising potatoes on a large scale. At one point, the "Swartz Boys," as they were known, had
up to 300 acres under cultivation on rented land in Hatfield, Hadley, Sunderland, and Amherst. Walter's death in 1979, and increasing development pressures forced John
to scale back the farming operation. John raised approximately 50 acres of potatoes on rented land and resumed growing tobacco, cucumbers, and onions on the home farm.
During the early and mid 1980's, John's son Joe assisted his Dad while he was going to school.
In 1986, Joe graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. Upon taking over the family business, he felt that it would be best
to focus on small scale, intensive production methods. So, in mid 1986, he built his first greenhouse. He then designed and build a hydroponic lettuce/leaf crop system
and hasn't looked back since. He married the former Sarah O'Brien in 1996. They now have two children; daughter Keily, born in 1999, and son Maxwell, born in 2003.
Together, they are the current owners of the Swartz Family Farm.
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