It seems that a fellow named John Thorndike was granted a parcel of land by the English monarch back in the 1600's. The land was known as Hog Hill. Throughout the years the land was sold to a series of private owners the last of whom was Austin Smith.

In 1976 Smith sold the land, which is now known as Brooksby Farm, to the City of Peabody for $1.2 million. It is 232 acres in size, with over 110 acres of hardwood and evergreen forest. There are over 3.7 miles of scenic trails which wind throughout farm and woodland allowing visitors a unique natural vista amidst the North Shore. A newly constructed barn is home to a variety of farm animals including sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, pigs, and even a llama.

Brooksby Farm has its own line item budget within Peabody's municipal budget and consistently, after all operating expenses are deducted, shows a profit to the city. Customers are able to pick their own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, and Christmas trees. The farm produces 25,000 bushels of apples, of which there are 36 different varieties. The farm also produces 80,000 pepper plants for Shaw's Supermarkets and Shop & Save.

The Farm is operated by three full-time employees who are members of the Peabody Retirement System. There are also thirty part-time employees consisting of some Peabody High School students and some migrant workers from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Mexico who work six to ten months of the year. Some of the migrants are housed in a bunkhouse facility on the farm.

Three ponds provide for irrigation, wildlife habitat, and recreation areas. Picnic areas are conveniently located near the main barn. Brooksby Farm is the site of the city's Annual Harvest Festival held in October. It provides the residents of Peabody with valued conservation, agriculture, recreation, and educational opportunities.

Manager Jim O'Brien is a Peabody native who started working summers while a student at the University of Maine at Orono from which he graduated in 1979 as a State Forestry major. He was hired full-time in 1980, and shortly thereafter he married his wife Liz (Elizabeth) and together they have two children, Kate and Pat.

The farm is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. all year long, except for April and May. They operate a full farm stand store. Brooksby Farm's peak period is September and October and for the first time they will be selling pasteurized cider. Sixth and seventh grade students from the Peabody School System conduct an ecological study of the three ponds on the property annually. Hayrides are provided on weekends and student field trips are conducted all year long.

Quite a farm smack in the middle of a suburban city like Peabody.