ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Pictured is Tillies Farm in Peabody. The farmstand will be operated by the city beginning in February.
By ADAM SWIFT
PEABODY — Long-time South Peabody farmstand Tillies Farm will be operated by the city beginning in February after the City Council approved a $140,000 budget last week.
Plans for Peabody to take over ownership of the farmstand from the Spurr family were put in place nearly a decade ago but the council made it official.
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Although he voted in favor of the budget, Ward 6 Councilor Barry Sinewitz said he had some questions about the long-term plans for the farm.
“I’m concerned that we will be adding payroll and benefits,” he said. “I don’t want to see that explode five to 10 years down the road.”
Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt said the budget will cover two or three full-time employees along with seasonal help.
Sinewitz asked if there was any expectation that the farm would operate as an enterprise account, where its budget is kept separate from the city budget and is covered by incoming revenue.
The mayor said he expects the farm to remain part of the city’s operating budget, but he thinks it will eventually turn a profit.
Bettencourt said he also expects there to be many opportunities to combine Tillies Farms programs and products with what is offered at Brooksby Farm, the 250-acre farm owned by the city. Those additional products brought in from Brooksby should help increase revenue at Tillies, he said.
In the long run, Bettencourt said there is also the potential for partnerships between the farm and North Shore Technical High School.
“It’s important to maintain the continuity at Tillies Farm,” said Bettencourt. “It has been an important part of Peabody for generations.”