Nourse Farm History

Nourse Farm was established in 1722 by William and Ebenezer Nurse, descendants of Rebecca Nurse, who was hung for witchcraft in July 1692. Rebecca was made famous in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which was about the witchcraft hysteria in Salem Village. Rebecca’s youngest son, Benjamin, left Danvers with his wife and child in 1693 and joined his aunt Sarah in what was then known as Salem Plain, now part of modern-day Framingham. William and Ebenezer, Benjamin’s sons, established our farm in Westborough, a town founded only five years earlier on land situated on the border of the Nipmuc and Wamesit tribes. They set up their “first camp” in the woods on the East side of what is now known as the big corn field and established their family business. A later generation eventually changed the name slightly to the present spelling. For almost three centuries the Nourse family has farmed these same acres, with members of the eight, ninth and tenth generations currently active on the land. Very much an integral part of the Westborough community then and now, the Nourses are excited to be celebrating our tricentennial in 2022. Below, please read about two of the notable inputs that the family has made as well as how they are involved in present day operations.   

Joel Nourse  Joel Nourse was a gifted blacksmith having learned the craft from his father, who grew up on the farm. Joel is the designer and creator of the Nourse Eagle Plow, now the new logo for our 300th celebration year. In 1842 , the plow revolutionized farming in the rocky New England soil with its smooth surfaces and uniformity that facilitated even the most difficult tillage. The Nourse Eagle Plow was a best selling plow in the country for over a decade and is currently housed in the Smithsonian Museum of American History

Benjamin Alden Nourse Benjamin Alden Nourse was a local Selectman and a State Representative, thriving farmer, meticulous business man, and loving father. At the height of his agricultural career in the late 1800's, Nourse Farm boasted 57 different varieties of apples that were so delicious, clients in England had them regularly shipped across the Atlantic. Much of the Nourse Family history was well documented in the detailed journal entries recorded by Benjamin Alden. His thoughtful pen chronicled all Nourse Farm activities from “ploughed fields” and “harvested apples” to “made sleds for the boys” and “celebrated Ernest’s 6th birthday”.

Alex Gross, a descendent of Benjamin, recently conducted extensive research on the journals and discovered how this "simple farmer without a college education turned a small farm into a thriving business, which competed with other farms on the local, regional and national level." Read selections from Alex's research. 

Nourse Farm Present Day

Today, the 140-acre Nourse Farm is the 15th oldest continuously operating family business in the country. Over time, farm operations have varied from production for consumption to dairy farming to its current berry specialization. Currently the 8th and 9th generations of Westborough Nourses are directly involved with Nourse Farm and contribute to its operations in various ways. David Nourse owns the farm, while brother Jonathan Nourse operates it.  Next generation contributors include Karen Nourse, who manages the on-line presence, her brother William who also supplied some of the website photos, and her other brother Timothy with his wife Catherine, who manage the food trailer, Veg Out which opened in June 2020. A number of their children are involved in various ways with production and sales as well.