Farm Offers Tropical-Inspired Fruits And More

Farm Offers Tropical-Inspired Fruits And More Makana Farms in Williamsburg, Mass., operates a diverse fruit farm despite its cold winter temperatures. “I bought this seven-acre property back in 2017,” says Pierre Belhumeur, farm owner and operator. “Two weeks before I closed on it, a fire destroyed the house. My main gig—besides farming—is working as a contractor/carpenter. After much consideration, I completed the sale and rebuilt the house over the next five months.” A year later, Belhumeur was able to focus on the farm itself. “Makana means gift and reward in Hawaiian,” he says. “It’s also the name of my black tri-coat Australian shepherd.” Today, the farm considers itself a fruit farm. “We grow everything from apples, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, and 600 wine grapes in our vineyard,” Belhumeur says. Chosen grape varieties include Itasca (white) and Petite Pearl (red), and the farm partnered with Mineral Hills Winery in Northampton for wine production. “With their collaboration, we won gold at the Eastern States Expo for best-grown grape in Massachusetts, and our 2022 Petite Pearl won gold for best red wine. And we were a five-year-old vineyard, too!” A farmstand on Route 9 opens up farm produce to the public. “Not only do we sell what we grow, but we also carry other local farm and homestead products and vegetables,” Belhumeur says. “We grow and sell carrots, three types of onions, stiff-neck garlic and scapes, herbs, six types of squash, tomatoes, artichokes, parsnips and sometimes corn.” The farm also started an apiary last year, and the honey is sold at the farmstand. A flock of 24 chickens keeps the farmstand stocked with eggs, and seasonal foraged offerings like ramps, fiddleheads and chaga are also for sale. Perhaps the main reason for Makana Farm’s reputation is its greenhouse-grown ginger. “We grow organic Peruvian yellow ginger and organic Kauai ginger, as well as turmeric,” Belhumeur says. “Going on four years ago, we designed and built a 30 by 50 subterranean greenhouse that’s 5 ft. into the ground.” This greenhouse has 18-ft. ceilings and an insulated, 1-ft. thick concrete foundation geothermal system that both cools and heats it year-round. These systems allow the farm to grow ginger, turmeric, pineapples, guavas, papayas, three types of bananas, navel oranges and a calamondin tree. Belhumeur openly acknowledges that running such a diverse farm comes with its challenges. “We’re a year-round operation now, which has eliminated our downtime in the winter,” he says. “But the locals love to come check out our greenhouse. It’s something you don’t really see here in New England.” Looking ahead, he aims to enhance the farm’s infrastructure, irrigation systems and buildings, with a primary goal of building a facility. “Here, we’re alchemists. We make small-batch hard cider and can make beer and wine. We just need a building to do so.” The first step toward this goal is to establish a new business, Unitea Beverage Co. The objective is to create a farm-based beverage and develop an agrotourism site on the farm. Four varieties of kombucha are slated for release in May 2026, available in 12-oz. cans and 16-oz. glass bottles. “We’re selling the drinks directly from our farmstand and locally at stores and restaurants,” Belhumeur says. “Unitea uses our fruit and ginger in the drinks. All that’s included is freshly juiced fruit, organic cane sugar, and organic green and black tea. I’ll go out on a limb and say we create some of the cleanest, non-vinegar-tasting kombucha on the market.” Despite the many projects underway, Makana Farm staff are always eager to connect with their customers. “We encourage anyone who sees us out on the farm to stop by for a chat. We’re more than happy to take a break and talk. Just watch out for the two Australian Shepherds running around doing their jobs.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Makana Farms, 84 Goshen Rd., Williamsburg, Mass. 01096 (ph 413-522-5622; makanafarmsinc@gmail.com).

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