In a significant step toward strengthening post-harvest infrastructure in Massachusetts agriculture, Savage Farms has received official approval from the Deerfield Planning Board to build a nearly 90,000-square-foot potato storage facility on its farmland off Sand Gully Road North. The project represents not only a logistical upgrade for the farm but also a strategic investment in long-term crop protection and supply chain stability.
Attorney Kathleen Bernardo, representing Savage Farms, emphasized the facility’s necessity: “It’s very beneficial… given that Mother Nature isn’t always kind.” With unpredictable weather and shifting market demands, dependable storage is becoming a critical tool for farmers looking to optimize quality and profitability throughout the year.
Why the New Facility Matters
For decades, Savage Farms shipped potatoes directly from the field—a practice that worked well when the farm was smaller. But as acreage and output have grown, in-field shipment has become less viable. According to Jay Savage, the farm now requires storage to ensure product integrity and meet customer demand beyond the narrow harvest window.
The planned storage building will feature:
- Advanced ventilation systems
- Integrated humidification technology
- Year-round environmental control These features will allow optimal preservation of potato quality, helping to reduce post-harvest losses caused by temperature fluctuations, humidity, and external spoilage risks.
Minimal Community Impact, Maximum Farm Benefit
While an abutter raised concerns about increased truck traffic, Savage explained that any change in activity will be minimal and spread across a longer period. During harvest season, heavy trucking already occurs, and the right-of-way near the neighbor’s property will be improved to manage vehicle flow better.
The building site is elevated and surrounded by natural buffers, which means the facility will remain largely out of view. The Deerfield Fire District has approved the project, and Planning Board Chair Denise Mason confirmed the project’s alignment with agricultural land use and local planning goals: “Everything’s going to be pretty contained.”
Savage Farms aims to complete construction by late summer, targeting readiness for the September storage season—a critical timeline that aligns with the regional potato harvest schedule.
A Broader Trend in Smart Storage Solutions
Savage Farms’ initiative is part of a growing movement among U.S. growers to build climate-resilient, energy-efficient, and technologically equipped storage facilities. With extreme weather patterns increasing and market volatility intensifying, proper storage enables:
- Better price timing and market access
- Reduced food waste
- Higher product consistency
- Enhanced profitability over longer sale windows
According to the USDA, post-harvest losses in vegetables can reach up to 30% without adequate storage. Investments like Savage Farms’ are essential in reversing that trend.
Building for the Future
The Deerfield Planning Board’s swift approval of Savage Farms’ potato storage facility marks a forward-thinking model of farm development—one that balances growth, resilience, and community impact. As farming operations evolve, infrastructure must keep pace, and this project reflects a practical, well-executed vision of what the future of agriculture looks like: climate-smart, locally integrated, and sustainability-focused.
Savage Farms is now poised to take its next leap—not just in size, but in capacity to manage harvests more effectively and responsibly.
