Eleven Generations and Still Growing: The Story of Oxen Hill Farm
Some farms have a history. Oxen Hill Farm has a legacy.
The Griffin family has been farming land in Connecticut since 1647, when Sgt. John Griffin received a royal land grant from the King of England in what is now East Granby. Nearly four centuries later, the 11th generation of Griffins is still working that same soil. The farm also includes a 28-acre parcel in Suffield that has been in the family since the mid-1800s, passed down through the ancestors of Carol (Biggerstaff) Griffin, who emigrated from Northern Ireland.
Today, Oxen Hill Farm is led by Lisa, Jonathan, and the broader Griffin family — a team that has built on everything those generations left behind while earning USDA Certified Organic status for their operation.
What They Grow
The farm produces a wide and impressive variety of organic vegetables across both growing seasons: greens, radishes, salad turnips, summer squash, broccoli, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, corn, tomatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and more. Whatever the season brings, Oxen Hill is growing something worth eating.
Customers can access their harvest through a two-season CSA program (Summer and Autumn), or find their produce at Whole Foods Market and Big Y grocery stores across Connecticut.
What “Certified Organic” Really Means
The team at Oxen Hill knows that “organic” can feel like a buzzword, so they’re intentional about explaining what it actually means for their farm. Their certification through the Baystate Organic Certifiers program requires them to maintain detailed records and submit to both scheduled and unscheduled inspections throughout the year. No synthetic fertilizers, no pesticides, no herbicides, no GMOs. Their commitment to sustainable, environmentally respectful growing isn’t just a promise — it’s documented, verified, and held to an outside standard.
That kind of accountability is rare, and the Griffins wear it as a point of pride.
Eleven generations of knowledge, four centuries of land stewardship, and a commitment to growing food the right way. Oxen Hill Farm is one of Connecticut’s most enduring agricultural stories — and it’s still being written.
Learn more at oxenhillfarm.com.
