Past, Present, & Future

The farmland stretching from Bayview Ave. to the Taunton River, on either side of 42nd St. in Berkley, Ma. was purchased by Max and Olga Houtzager in 1943. They were living in a cramped apartment in New York City. Olga, having lived on a farm in the Ukraine as a child, longed for a space to live off the land. The farm and house were in disrepair as a result of the depression, even though the land had been farmed since the seventeen hundreds. It is said that the farm was once the site of a small orchard. Only a few of the original pear, peach, and apples trees remain.

Max, Olga, and 6 year old Alex raised hay, cows, geese, chickens, and vegetables. Olga sold milk, cheese, and vegetables to families in nearby Taunton and Fall River, making weekly deliveries while Max worked full time as a machinist.

It continued as a family farm until 2005 when with the passing of Olga and Max’s infirmity, the farmhouse became vacant.

A community supported agriculture, CSA, project was done in the summer of 2006, with a feasibility study and 15 members. In 2007, the farm was named Kettle Pond Farm and CSA membership increased. Two and a half of the total 35 acres were utilized for growing crops organically, and certification was granted.

In 2008, Kettle Pond Farm was incorporated as a non-profit organization, commited to strengthening the link between farming and the community, through education, research projects, and conservation.

Our vision is to “grow” Kettle Pond Farm into an outdoor classroom, with farmers and other educators teaching interns, community groups, children and adults, to preclude the possibility of this land from becoming yet another development, and to ensure the protection of natural resources.


Olga, Max
Alex, Frank

Kettle Pond Farm
181 Bay View Avenue
Berkley, Mass 02779
Bristol County
508-822-6919