Summary
Kushi Farm and the North Hadley Chili Pepper Company is a small, multi-functional agricultural operation that focuses on providing both agricultural goods and agricultural services to the public. The goods and services offered include crops with a specialty in hot peppers/hot pepper products, research for innovative growing systems and development for interactive agricultural education. Ku
shi Farm uses a quality first mentality along with an understanding of agricultural policy to achieve these goals. Mission
The purpose of Kushi Farm and the North Hadley Chili Pepper Company is to provide quality agricultural products and services to the public. Location
North Hadley, MA
198 River Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
Three Parts of the Business
1. Production (General and the North Hadley Chili Pepper Company)
The primary function of the farm will be its production branch. This will be the branch responsible for the production and distribution of agricultural goods to the local public with a specialty of hot peppers and hot pepper products under the farm brand and division of the North Hadley Chili Pepper Company.
2. Innovative Growing and Policy Research (Research and Information)
This branch will serve to conduct small scale private research on the future of innovative farming and what it means to agricultural policy. This branch will also explore how agriculture can be conducted in order to help people in new frontiers of human exploration. This will be done via research information and information sheets. While there are many of these initiatives in progress in the public sector, the information is rarely accessible or in a well-known enough location for the general public. The primary goal of this branch is to let that information be known to the local public. This will require partnerships with credible organizations for the future so that there is a credible base to be working for. The current issue that will be examined will be how innovative growing methods (i.e. hydroponics) could help close quarter living areas and non-human areas (space and underwater).
3. Interactive Agricultural Education/Experience Development (Awareness and Development)
The goal of this branch will be to raise awareness of interactive educational initiatives and to develop/design ideas for interactive products and exhibits that can further expose and educate the general public about the world of agriculture and rural America. Ultimately, this could have the potential to serve as a consultant, promoter or incubator. The audience for this service is the public, existing businesses and potential new businesses. These goals will be achieved through developing and designing ideas and dispersing that information through information brochures and exhibit designs. This will also be done by raising awareness of others who use agricultural education as part of their operation and the benefits of it. Current Services and Products
-Hot Peppers (Jalapeno and Red Cherry)
-Hot Pepper Products (North Hadley Chili Pepper Company Hot Pepper Jelly and North Hadley Chili Pepper Company Hot Pepper Powder)
-Ideas for Innovative Growing Methods and Future (Growing in non-native areas to help food security policy issue and for non-inhabited regions)
-Agricultural Policy Knowledge
History and The Original Kushi Farm
This operation has drawn inspiration from both sides of my family. The original Kushi Farm was operated by my great-grandparents. In 1903, Jozef Kuszaj and Salomea Wojnar came to the United States from the Galicia region of Austria-Poland. Like many other Polish immigrants who hailed from the small village of Jelna, Poland, my great-grandparents came to Hadley, Massachusetts and started to build their version of the American Dream through what they knew: Farming. Settling in the North Hadley part of town, my great-grandparents became known as Joseph Kushi and Salome Kushi. Eventually, they would work their way up and buy a farm and raise a family. My family still resides on some of that land to this day. The original Kushi Farm, the farm that my grandfather was raised on, was in operation from the early 1900’s (anywhere from 1908 to 1918 when the original farmstead was purchased) to 1960. Contact Information and Website
Matthew Kushi, Owner
(413) 387-7959
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.kushifarm.com
www.northhadleychilipeppercompany.com
