Chockalog Farm Needs a Tractor!

Chockalog Farm is a 36 acre farm in Uxbridge, Massachusetts offering pasture-raised meats and eggs as well as a small organically grown vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture, a weekly vegetable subscription).  



Chockalog Farm goes beyond organic and sustainable.  Holistic and Regenerative management is practiced.  Improving the land is always the goal.  This results in the best care for both the animals and the land.  My name is Wenona and I run this farm.

My sisters and I were raised here on the farm, owned by my dad, Henry Racicot.  He bought the farm in the mid-60's.  He had a dairy here when small dairies were more common.  After that, it was run as a homestead for a long time, providing food for our family.  Then as my dad got older, he stopped farming altogether.

So......I ended up with the farming bug and started my endeavor to run the farm as a business about 4 years ago and I've made some big changes on the farm in that time.  It has taken a lot of very hard work, perseverance, and a lot of help from family and friends, especially my dad. 

Upon needing a tractor several years ago, my dad and I saw a Long-brand used tractor at an auction and took a shot at what we hoped would be a relatively inexpensive, working tractor.

Unfortunately, we embarked upon a long learning curve regarding tractors (especially used, foreign ones)!  The tractor was apparently manufactured in Holland, and  - as it turns out - was not popular around here...so all the parts have to be shipped in from overseas!  We also soon found out the 4-wheel drive didn't work, which we really needed...so the whole tractor had to be split in two to fix it and the parts took many months to get.  We ended up sinking in as much money into repairing the 4-wheel drive as we had paid for the tractor initially!

After a relatively short time, the tractor is broken down yet again, and is currently sitting unused with a broken gear in the rear differential, leaking cylinders, and the 3-point hitch not functioning! - which means, at best, well over $5000 in repairs!


The tractor does not have the value to put any more money into it.  It would be very difficult to come up with the funds for the repairs, never mind a new tractor which is an unachievable expense!  The neighbor has graciously let me come and borrow theirs when I need it to get me through this time but of course I can't continue this way, and I hate to wear out my welcome.

A tractor is a vital necessity for me to run the farm.  I can't remove snow (mountains and mountains of snow!), move materials like manure, bedding, and woodchips, mow the fields, pull the water wagon around to the animals as they rotate in the pastures, move the mobile chicken coop, and move 1000# round hay bales without one!  Farming is physically taxing enough, especially (I hate to say it) for a woman.....I can't do it without equipment to help me.





As most people know, farming does not make a lot of money. I've been working at this at least 12 hours a day 7 days a week especially during the growing season for going on 4 years yet I haven't been able to pay myself anything yet.  All of my money from the farm and from off farm jobs has gone into building this farm and getting things going.  I have been building up to try to meet the high demand for local, healthy, good-for-the-planet food. I believe that the ideas practiced at this farm will be a jumping off point for the future of agriculture.  But in the mean time, it's really tough to make ends meet.  I really need some assistance from the community to keep this farm alive and functioning. 

I have the hope that my farm will be part of a thriving future of local food.....but first I just have to be able to keep going.  I am hoping that those of you who like to see local farms operating and like to preserve land that is kept undeveloped will be able to lend me a hand. 

As a side note...if anyone knows of a good used tractor for sale, please pass the info on to me!  : )

Visit Chockalog Farm's Facebook Page!    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chockalog-Farm/220272441454897