Growing exceptional vegetables and supporting ecological health
About Our Farm
Pencil Hill Farm is a market garden in Wassaic, New York, producing vegetables, herbs, and fiber while working to build healthy soil and a diverse farm ecosystem.
We grow intensively on permanent beds using compost, cover crops, careful crop rotations, and reduced tillage. Our fiber sheep are also part of the farm’s fertility system, helping cycle nutrients through the land while producing wool.
We are focused on growing crops with exceptional flavor and nutritional quality. We do so by minimizing soil disturbance, protecting habitat for local wildlife, building organic matter, and increasing biodiversity throughout the farm.
The farm is being established in fall 2026, with our first full growing season beginning in spring 2027.
What We Grow
Pencil Hill Farm grows a diverse mix of vegetables and herbs, with a particular focus on salad greens, head lettuce, arugula, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, fresh herbs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other seasonal crops.
We select crops and varieties for flavor, quality, and usefulness to both home cooks and restaurant kitchens.
About the Farmer
Pencil Hill Farm was founded by William Ahee, whose prior farming experience ranges from large-scale vegetable production in the Hudson Valley to urban agriculture projects in Detroit, along with shorter periods growing tea in Hawaiʻi and grains and fruit in India.
William also works as an appellate public defender. He designed Pencil Hill Farm as an intensive, ecologically focused operation that can remain intentionally small while producing high-quality food and fiber. He sees the farm as an extension of a broader commitment to supporting his local community and helping create the conditions for healthy, joyful lives.
The farm is also supported by William’s partner, Ming, along with a generous group of friends and family. William and Ming’s three cats — Toothless, Katya, and Lucy — contribute less to farm labor, but provide a reliable supply of love and chaos.