Background: In 2008, with no suitable traditional farmland available and inspired by WWII victory gardens, Kate Canney started farming in eleven private backyards in Needham, MA. She later leased five acres, which allowed her to greatly expand production, and The Neighborhood Farm now sells its produce at farmers’ markets, through a CSA, and to restaurants in the greater Boston area. With the farm’s increasing success, Boston.com highlighted the farm’s early years, and FarmAid named Kate a Farmer Hero in 2013. Now, after several seasons of searching, Kate is moving her entire operation to a single location and plans to expand her production while remaining deeply embedded in her local community.
Legal Need: Kate sought legal assistance through the Legal Food Hub to review the lease with Mainstone Farm in Wayland, where The Neighborhood Farm will be relocating. She also sought advice about and assistance with transitioning the business from a general partnership to an LLC with her wife, Jude.
The Relationship: Legal Food Hub matched Kate with Archstone Law Group’s Lori Yarvis, who is deeply experienced in providing general counsel services to startup businesses and food industry companies. With Lori’s help, the new iteration of The Neighborhood Farm is off to a great start with a written lease and business entity.