Hoyt Farm/Silver Brook Farm

In June 2025, Greenbelt successfully acquired Hoyt Farm in Merrimac, one of the largest remaining unprotected farms in the Merrimack Valley. Spanning more than 120 acres of working farmland and forest, the property will be renamed Silver Brook Farm, honoring its original colonial name and the stream that runs through it.

A former dairy farm, Silver Brook Farm has been continuously cultivated for over 200 years, with the same family stewarding the land for the past century. For the last two decades, the land has been leased to local farmers Wally and Steph Lesiczka, owners of Wally’s Vegetables in Haverhill

This acquisition permanently protects a vibrant local farm, securing access to fresh, locally grown food for generations to come. Beyond its agricultural significance, the conserved land allows Greenbelt to expand public trails from the Merrimac Town Forest, protect vital wildlife habitat, and bolster the region’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Phase I of the project, completed in December 2024, conserved 22 acres of forest on the property. The recent Phase II campaign secured the remaining 100-plus acres, guaranteeing that this historic farmland will be preserved for agricultural use in perpetuity.