Thieves Strip Hundreds of Plants From Newton Community Farm, Drawing Wave of Local Support

Hundreds of vegetable plants and seedlings were stolen from Newton Community Farm in a theft that the farm's leadership says was deliberate, and the nonprofit has since been met with a surge of backing from residents and fellow growers.

According to a Facebook post by executive director Sue Bottino, the plants disappeared sometime between 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and 7 a.m. on Friday. She wrote that one or more people took hundreds of basil, scallion, eggplant and cucumber plants from the field, along with trays of cucumber, tomato, kale, corn and other seedlings from the greenhouse. "Whomever took these plants knew what they were doing and targeted certain crops," she wrote.

Bottino described how the culprits appeared to be searching for particular plants. They first pulled leeks and onions while looking for scallions, she said. Other plants were dug out by the roots so they could be replanted elsewhere, and cloth covering crops in the field was removed. The thieves also crawled under tarps to pick eggplants and cucumbers. Footprints and knee prints were left in the soil, and the farm notified local police.

The farm is asking the public to watch for anyone selling or carrying "hundreds of plants," as well as for vehicles parked around the edge of the park between dusk and dawn. Suspicious activity can be reported to 617-916-9655.

The timing struck Bottino as especially jarring. She told Boston.com that on the day of the theft the farm was about to donate its 60th bag of fresh produce to the Newton Community Freedge, and that the following day it was giving away hundreds of vegetable seedlings to would-be gardeners at the Newton Plant Swap. "We give, we're giving," she said. "It doesn't make any sense that someone would take such a risk with a community farm; it's just antithetical to what we do and why we are here."

The farm grows food for community supported agriculture shareholders, farm stands and customers at local farmers' markets, and donates to the Newton Food Pantry and Freedge. The 18-year-old nonprofit serves more than 2,000 people a year in Newton. It had never experienced a theft like this before, but Bottino said the incident has left her feeling exposed. "It's a farm, so it's not like you can just close the door at night and lock it," she said. "It's vulnerable, and we're vulnerable, and our on-site staff is vulnerable. It's just very upsetting."

In the two days after her first post, the farm received a flood of messages from other farms and community members. In a follow-up post, Bottino thanked the people who called, emailed and wrote on social media. The theft, she said, "feels so violating for so many reasons but your messages, comments, and emails strengthen our resolve to keep doing what we are doing here at the Farm." About a dozen other farms have also offered seedlings and other crops.

The farm has set up a donation page to help cover increased security, replacement plants, seeds and produce, and its broader work providing fresh, local food to the community. Bottino said the farm plans to install security cameras and begin locking the greenhouse doors.