Dominican Sisters of Hope

Creating a Farming Future

Dartmouth, Massachusetts

In 1960, the Dominican Sisters of Fall River sought a location for a novitiate and found it in the Tucker Road Farm in Dartmouth. Along with a pleasant setting and housing for the Sisters’ novitiate, the property had room for the sisters to garden, and to allow a local farmer to plant corn. The Sisters were ever mindful of the land’s original identity as a farm.

As time passed it became clear that membership in the order was declining and members were aging. With the farmhouse now vacant, the Sisters could consider other options for the land and house. At the Religious Lands Conservancy Conference in 2005, Dominican Sister Monica McGloin expressed their hopes for this property. “The earth calls us to a new vision. Crisis demands experimentation. It is providential that the Sisters own these lands and can make decisions for their good use.”

Knowing many of the Sisters were committed to protecting the land and its agricultural potential, RLC recommended contacting Land for Good (LFG) to find a farmer for the property. Through LFG, an organization that assists in keeping New England's agricultural lands working, the Sisters found a farm couple eager to work and live on the property.

The Sisters followed a course of investigation and action that would eventually establish preservation as the right solution. The farm couple, Derek and Katy Christianson, were invited to attend the Dominican Sisters’ Assembly in 2008. The couple made a significant impression on members. The plan to place the land in an Agricultural Easement was presented and approved.

Since then, the farm couple has established a significant presence in the area as they build the property into Brix Bounty Farm. See their website for news on how the farm progresses.

Read more details coming soon

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