M&J On The Way Farm, Inc was founded in 2022.
Farmer Jill and her late husband Mike started farming on her heritage homestead in Bethel, CT in 2013. The non-profit was started as a way to honor his legacy after he passed.
“My husband and I both wanted to have a place that was welcoming to everyone. A quiet, not commercial-looking or perfectly maintained “farm,” but to have a place for kids, especially, to see, smell and hear things in nature. To pick flowers if they wanted to, or draw on the pavement with the never ending bucket of sidewalk chalk. It was always a dream of mine and my husband’s, and after he passed away, I focused on making it happen.”
Garden Farm Philosophy
A family garden was the one constant that Farmer Jill and Mike had from their childhood. To them, it was more than just a garden, it was a place of learning. Gardening and growing vegetables taught patience, perseverance, problem solving, and how to adapt when things don’t go our way (hello, ever-changing weather patterns).
While the farm stand is no longer in operation, the fields and farm are still being maintained as a teaching garden for kids camp, to provide veggies for our annual fundraising Tomatopalooza dinner, and for inspiration for kids cooking classes.
Community is everything.
We are so fortunate to have the help and support of many friends and selfless volunteers within our little community to help keep our farm and events running.
The non-profit is currently governed by a seven-member board of directors, all of whom are volunteers and donate their time to help make our programs happen.
2026 Board Members:
Jill Anderson
Tina Colombo
Patrick Dwyer
Samantha Mauro
Patsy O'Meara
Bill Sullivan
Susan Warsaw
We want to do more to give back.
M&J On The Way Farm, Inc. 501(c)3 aims to provide educational classes and workshops on sustainable and organic farming, farm-related skills, and food cultivation for the benefit of the community here in Bethel, CT and in the surrounding areas.
We are honored to award annual college scholarships to graduating seniors majoring in agriculture or livestock studies, boosting up the next generation for a more sustainable future. To date, we’ve awarded $5,000 in scholarships thanks to our community’s generous donations.
If you wish to contribute, please click the link below or send us a check. Please make the check out to: M&J On The Way Farm, Inc.
Our mailing address is 65 Plumtrees Rd., Bethel, CT 06801
Scholarship Winners
-
![A red tomato with green stem and gray wings on either side.]()
Eden DeRosa, 2026 Recipient
In May 2026, a $1000 scholarship was presented to Eden DeRosa at the Bethel High School scholarship award ceremony. Eden is a member of the National Honor Society, a Battalion Executive Officer of the NJROTC, a member of the Math Honor Society and Captain of the Varsity Soccer Team. She plans to study Environmental Science at the University of South Carolina Chapel Hill.
-
![Cartoon illustration of a red tomato with gray wings on each side.]()
Cassandra Bomba-Lewandoski, 2026 Recipient
In May 2026, a $1000 scholarship was presented to Cassandra Bomba-Lewandoski, a student at Nonnewaug High School. Cassandra is a member of the Future Farmers of America and the Connecticut Farm Bureau. She plans to study AG Business, Marketing, and Communication at Naugatuck Valley College.
-
![Two women standing together in front of a red wall with paper pieces attached, one older and one younger, both dressed in black. The older woman has glasses and shoulder-length dark hair, and the younger woman has shoulder-length light brown hair.]()
Willa Griswold - 2025 Recipient
In May 2025, a $1000 scholarship was presented to Willa Griswold at the Bethel High School Awards ceremony. Willa is an exceptional high school student, a member of both the National Math Honors Society and the National Science Honors Society, as well as a New Pond Farm volunteer. Her college major will be food science at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
-
![A woman and a young girl are standing on stage, smiling and posing for photos. The woman is dressed in a gray blazer and white pants, and the girl is wearing a black dress with a square neckline, black sandals, and appears to be holding a piece of paper. Behind them, there are people sitting at a table with a bouquet of yellow flowers, and a dark curtain in the background.]()
Avery Englund - 2024 Recipient
In May 2024, a $1000 scholarship was presented to Avery Englund at the Bethel High School Awards ceremony. Avery is an incredible high school student, track and field captain, National Honor Society member, National Science Honor Society member, among other volunteering accolades. Her college major will be environmental science at Quinnipiac University.
-
![A young woman standing in a garden with purple flowers and green plants, next to a sign that reads 'On the Way Farm Eggs Produce' with a drawing of a rooster.]()
Skye Parsell - 2023 Recipient
In May 2023, a $1000 scholarship was presented to Skye Parsell at the Bethel High School Awards ceremony. Skye had a stellar high school career including hours of volunteer service and four years of softball and junior ROTC. Her college major will be biology and environmental studies at Central Connecticut State University.
Grateful Tomato Collective
Community is at the heart of everything we do. For our local kids 18 and younger, we offer a range of opportunities for them to get involved at the Farm. The littlest kids get a chance to learn new skills and try new foods in our winter cooking class. The bigger kids get the opportunity to be kids at our tech-free nature based farm camp. Middle school and high school teens love volunteering on the farm and helping out with camps and classes — it’s a great way for them to earn community service hours!
This young local artist created the signature M&J On the Way Farm, Inc logo, the tomato with wings. It’s designed to capture the spirit of Mike, the Tomato Man. You can see his wonderful painting of the logo hanging at the Farm over the barn doors.
