Ledyard - The farm was founded in 1836 as a community farm, where the poor and criminals could work for room and board. The community farm operated until a few decades ago, when the property was used mainly as grazing space for livestock, and then, about 12 years ago, it ceased to be an active farm.

Now, a young couple is bringing back Ledyard's Town Farm. They have dubbed it Town Farm Organic, and they have plans to create a community garden on the property. Amanda Levine, 23, whose family purchased the property 12 years ago, and her boyfriend, Dylan Williams, 25, have been working over the last year to create a new farm on the property, with plans to launch a community-supported operation next year.

This year, Levine and Williams are clearing stones, brush, and trees and installing a well and equipment to keep crops hydrated.

"We really have changed the look of this place quite a bit," Levine says.

Farm work has posed its own set of challenges, especially with all the rocks that lie in the topsoil. The original farmers faced the same challenges, evidenced by the stone walls that surround the property.

The farm's history is visible on the property. Levine and Williams have incorporated some of that information into their new farm. The foundation of a dairy barn, damaged during the hurricane of 1938 and destroyed in a subsequent fire, is now the site of a garden. The couple plans to restore the barn's ancient root cellar, with the hope it can serve as a way to store produce in a cool, dry space.

"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of trial and error," Williams says. Recently, they harvested their first batch of vegetables.

While the farm's history is one of its assets, the farmers' youth is just as vital to their plan.

"We hope that affects people as well," Williams said. "Our youth and our energy; we hope to be around for a very long time."

Next year, they plan to run the farm under the Community Supported Agriculture model, where people can purchase shares that entitle them to a weekly allotment of fresh produce. In addition to buying a share, members of the Town Farm Organic CSA group are encouraged to play an active role in the farming itself.

"This is a really great model," Levine says. "It gets people involved - they get to play in the dirt and come out to help."

Levine and Williams met last summer, while working at a CSA farm on Long Island. That farm, located at a convent, catered mostly to nearby churchgoers, Williams said. Levine said she planned to learn to farm that summer, but had not expected to discover a strong personal connection like the one she found with Williams.

"The last thing I thought I'd find there was a boyfriend," Levine notes.

Town Farm Organic is part of a growing locavore movement, which stresses knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced. This year, Williams and Levine are selling their food at Ledyard's weekly farmers market, which is open Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Ledyard Town Center fairgrounds, and they plan to open their own farm stand.

They are also trying to build ties with local restaurants, with hopes that some will purchase their crops and include local produce on their menus.

Williams says moving to their own farm brings a sense of freedom that comes with working as your own boss.

"Running a farm while working for someone is tough," Williams explains, "because you want to use your own ideas - it's an art, not entirely a science."

m.collette@theday.com