Rhode Island Feeds

It’s been several weeks now since our latest community garden buildout, but we did want to send a welcome to over 40 families in South Providence who are now members of the Cadillac Drive Park Community Garden.

On May 22nd and 23rd, SCLT partnered with the Providence Parks and Recreation Department, Providence City Councilman Miguel Luna, McCauley Village and Community Works RI to build a new garden at Cadillac Drive Park. Dozens of new gardeners and community members worked together to build new raised beds and fill the beds with soil. Now that the garden is up and running, the gardeners are working together to plan garden days and a summer harvest celebration!

Many thanks to the Providence Parks and Recreation Department for providing the fencing, the water, and the soil for the raised beds.

Click MORE to look at more photos from the garden buildout in May.

Hal Morpeth welcomes student volunteers. photo courtesy of CELS News

This is a story about a university, its faculty, staff and students, the State of Rhode Island, some Master Gardeners, and a food bank. It’s also about testing new vegetable cultivars, and bringing many diverse interests together to grow good food, and lots of it.

For the past several years, University of Rhode Island Plant Sciences professor Dr. Rebecca Brown and research associate Carl Sawyer, with help from some URI students, have been growing fresh produce for the Rhode Island Food Bank. This year, the project has undergone a significant expansion. Dr. Brown needed more help, and a team of volunteers headed by Master Gardeners Hal Morpeth  and Charlie Samson got involved. With help from some URI and other student volunteers, they made the transition from “gardening” to “farming,” planting hundreds of cucumbers, lettuces, peppers, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and onions.

volunteers getting down and dirty. photo courtesy of CELS News

Vegetable trials are also part of the project. One of these, partially funded by the RI Department of Environmental management, is testing blight-resistant tomatoes.

Bringing so many diverse groups together seems to benefit everyone. The trials will produce research data, the volunteers – including Master Gardeners – gain valuable experience, and the Food Bank gets the fresh produce. Sounds good to me.

Our 2nd annual Farmers’ Market at Davis Park is being held Sundays from 11am-2pm through October 31st.  Davis Park is located at the corner of Raymond and Chalkstone Sts.  Come join the fun, support our farmers and local artisans and bring the family!  There is a new playground there for the kids.

On Sunday 8/1, in conjunction with the market, we will hold our first Family Fun Day with lots of kid’s activities.

I so admire those diligent bloggers who have been posting regularly about the Buffa10 Fling last weekend. I am well behind and it is a challenge to find photos which have not been seen. It is interesting how many pictures... Layanee DeMerchant

Potluck Schedule

The next potluck is scheduled for Thursday, July 22. Apparently, we missed the first one, so I’d like to make it up and have another one at the end of July and two in August as well. We need more potlucks

I’d like to schedule the 2nd July potluck for Saturday July 31. All potlucks are at the garden and are weather sensitive.

Board Positions Available

There are presently 2 spots available on the Board. If you are interested in becoming a board member, please contact me.

Workday Changed:

Every Thursday evening is an unofficial work day, and it seems to be working out really well so far. I’m scheduling an official workday for Saturday, July 24th from 8am-5, weather permitting. If you would like to come earlier than that, please don’t let me stop you. I’ll have a list of things posted on the bulletin board if you can’t make the scheduled work hours or wish to come earlier in the day.

Fertilizer:

We’re going to be selling organic fish fertilizer next week for $10/bottle. I bought 4 gallons, which should be about 32 bottles. It’s concentrated, fantastic stuff! If you can, let me know that you want some, that way if I need to order more I can see if it’s possible.

There’s more information to come in the next few days after I get the minutes from the prez, so consider this is a head’s up.

Corkscrew Rush: "A whimsical head-turner that provides terrific architectural interest. Leaves are wound in tight, upright spirals when they emerge then begin to relax as they mature. Plant it in a spot where it can be appreciated up close. Also...

Jamie and Renata have fled the coop!

This week ended with our AmeriCorps positions at Southside CLT, leaving behind some beautiful memories, incredible learning experiences, and all around awesome times. We’ve already had a farewell picnic and several teary goodbyes, but are stronger ladies as a result of our time spent here: going out into the world, our food advocacy knowledge and backgrounds honed, we’re ready to continue the work we’re leaving behind at Southside CLT.

Thank you AmeriCorps VISTA for providing us with the opportunity to work at such a great organization, and Southside Community Land Trust for enriching our lives in innumerable ways.

Love,

Jamie+Renata

12 talented chefs paired with 12 local farms. The tastiest event of the summer is only three weeks away. Join us for a ramble through the flavors of Rhode Island:

RI Local Food Fest
to benefit Farm Fresh Rhode Island
at Castle Hill Inn & Resort, Newport
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 5-8pm
Preview Hour at 4pm

Regular and Preview Hour tickets are now available. We encourage you to buy tickets now because they usually sell out before the event.

The annual Local Food Fest showcases the flavors of Rhode Island summer at its peak. RI chefs and farmers are joined by local vineyards, brewers, bakers and cheeseheads.

Our Farmers & Producers are the people who provide our daily bread (plus our tomatoes, basil and mozzarella).

· Aquidneck Farms · Aquidneck Honey · Allen Farms · Arcadian Fields · Bally Machree · Blackbird Farm · Barden Family Orchard · Blue Skys Flower Farm · Blue State Coffee · Bomster Scallops · Cupcakerie · Four Town Farm · Lydon Family Tomatoes · Matunuck Oyster Farm · Narragansett Creamery · New Harvest Coffee · Olga’s Cup and Saucer ·
· Rhody Fresh Milk · Red Planet Vegetables · Robin Hollow Farm · Schartner Farms · Simmons Farm · Sweet Berry Farm · Seven Stars Bakery · Wishing Stone Farm ·

Our Chefs support the mission of Farm Fresh RI at the Local Food Fest and every evening. They work with local farmers to excite, inspire and nourish us:

· Castle Hill · Newport Restaurant Group ·
· Blackstone Caterers · Chez Pascal ·
· Tallulah on Thames  · Sunnyside Daytime ·
· Little Farm Catering · Local 121 ·
· New Rivers · Nick’s on Broadway ·
· Persimmon · Vanderbilt Hall · La Laiterie

Wine & Beer Tastings from Rhode Island vineyards and breweries are included with full glasses also available for purchase.
· Greenvale Vineyards · Newport Vineyards · Sakonnet Vineyards · Narragansett Brewery · Newport Storm · Trinity Brewhouse · Langworthy Farm Winery

The Preview Hour is a unique experience with the chefs and farmers. Preview Hour guests are also treated to complimentary champagne, passed plates from Vanderbilt Hall, and a Matunuck Oyster raw bar.

The Silent Auction includes exclusive tours of farms, dinner and theatre packages, and cheesemaking classes, to name a few.

Live Music from Brown Bird, a wonderful (and local) bluesy-gypsy, folk rock treat.

Buy your tickets online today. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy the beautiful views from Castle Hill and the delicious flavors of Rhode Island at the Local Food Fest.
We hope you’ll come out, enjoy the fresh flavors and ocean air, and support the critical work of Farm Fresh.

Thank you to our generous supporters:

  

          

Last winter, ’09 City Farm Apprentice Than Wood finished up the growing season with Rich Pederson and took time figuring out a life’s direction – and with incredible results. Choosing to invest in the west side’s land and community, Than negotiated with a lot owner on Westminster to start his own version of City Farm: Front Step Farm.

Front Step Farm works in conjunction with Than’s compost pick up service (Farm-in-a-Cart: to learn more, contact farminacart@riseup.net), utilizing the City Farm method of fixing soil by growing its own (compost!). Now part of the Little City Growers Co-op, Than sells his produce – …chard, boc choi, dragon tongue beans, basil… – at Thursday’s Parade Street market.

His accomplishments (and fellow City Farm volunteer, Noah Read) were also recently featured in the Projo.

Than (right) chats with a neighbor at the Little City Growers stand.

Conrgatulations Than! Keep it up. Be sure to stop by and say hello to Than and all the Little City Growers (which includes City Farm) from 3-7pm on Parade Street, in the Armory Park.

Recently, some friends and I went on the Newport RI “Secret Garden Tour.” A ticket purchased in advance was just $20, and the proceeds went to charity. It was also an opportunity to explore the historic and lovely “Point” section of the city, since all the gardens were located there,  within walking distance of each other.

Actually, that was the best part: walking around The Point, where most of the wooden houses were built in the 1700s, and charming vignettes like this one abound.

The houses are close together, so the gardens are quite small. Some were delightful – with garden ornaments as interesting as the plants themselves. As for the plantings, I adored the shape of one azalea, which, we were told, is 110 years old, and there were some wonderful trees like the venerable copper beeches in the garden of a B&B.

The 110-year-old azalea

Other gardens, though, were not “tour ready” in our opinion. They needed dead heading and weeding, and no one could tell us anything about the individual plants if we had questions. At least two of the gardens touted specimen trees in the brochure, but when we asked about them, in one case the tree had been cut down and in the other, it had been “moved somewhere else.”

Overall, the tour was worthwhile, especially since our ticket money went to a good cause. I guess I was expecting more on a horticultural level – and docents who could answer our questions about the plants.

This garden was full of surprises

There is an energy surrounding Buffalo which is palpable to gardeners in particular. This city, which has a curious name if one thinks at all about it, is situated in an optimistic location at the eastern edge of Lake Erie... Layanee DeMerchant

The Children’s Garden Program is in full swing and all eight of our local program participants have had the chance to experience the farm firsthand. So far we’ve done farm tours and had a ‘five senses’ scavenger hunt, learned about the parts of plants and different types of soil. We even got to enjoy the fruits of our labor with a Plant Parts Salad. Looking forward, we will be learning about the virtues compost and will be doing some planting of our own in the upcoming lessons.

Plant Parts Salad Ingredients:

Mixed Leaf Lettuce

Cherry Tomato

Husk Cherry

Cilantro

Scallion

Ginger Root

Nasturtium (or other edible flower)

The juice of a lemon

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salad Oil

Procedure:

Wash and chop lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Dice scallion and ginger root and pull petals from nasturtiums and put all ingredients in large bowl. Juice lemon and add 1-2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Whisk in salad oil until dressing reaches desired consistency (usually 3-4 tbsp). Toss salad with dressing and season with salt and pepper for a bright, refreshing taste of summer. Can’t find husk cherries? Substitute raspberries, blueberries or your favorite summer fruit!

I found a new, intriguing plant at a local supermarket some weeks ago. I knew I could not pass up anything as cute and unusual as this.. Lamb's tail flower is cone-shaped and reminds me of celosia's plume. I put...

No matter where a group of gardeners may convene, we will always find common ground and inspiration. This past weekend about 70 of us from all over North America got together in Buffalo, NY for the 3rd annual garden bloggers meet-up. If you’re only vaguely familiar with Buffalo’s riches to rags industrial history, or like [...]

Herbdoc has some good news. I love good news.

turkey poult. photo: Herbdoc

The Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallapavo silvestris) was near extinction in the early 1900’s due to over hunting and loss of habitat.  In Rhode Island, The Department of Environmental Management’s restoration effort started in 1980, and the population swelled to an estimated 4900 in 2009.

For the past ten years we have seen increasing numbers on our wooded property.  The first flock consisted of a dozen adult birds, but last winter we counted 72 visitors!  It wasn’t until last summer that we spotted the poults, or young turkeys, accompanied by three hens.  The hens apparently teach their young to be very quiet since they would otherwise become dinner for predators.  This year we have nineteen poults with four hens.  They are particularly fond of my herb garden where they snack on insects, green plants and fruit.

They are such a delight to watch, and a real benefit of having them visit has been a rapid decline in the number of ticks.  An adult turkey can eat up to 200 ticks a day with the result that our woods have been tick free for the past several years.

The second successful restoration project has involved the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), a magnificent raptor with a 3 foot wing span that feeds on live fish.

The osprey population was decimated during the years between 1950 and 1975 due to the effects of the pesticide DDT which worked its way up the food chain to the birds.  It caused a thinning of eggshells and poisoning of embryos; very few eggs hatched.  The ban on DDT in 1972 and the construction of special platforms to provide nesting sites contributed to the osprey’s remarkable comeback.

This photo was taken at the Salt Pond in South Kingstown, RI.  The nestlings were peering across the road at their parents, either awaiting dinner or being urged to take the plunge for their first flight!

ospreys panting in the heat. photo: Herbdoc

"Heliotrope blooms in midsummer, and produces only one flower head per stem. These in turn produce many smaller flowers continually, lasting upwards of a couple months each. While not stunningly beautiful, they're interesting to look at and smell nice for...

Thanks again to NBC-10 and Citizens Bank for honoring Southside Community Land Trust with its Champions in Action Award!

Read more about the announcement here, and take a look at the video below to learn more about SCLT and the Champions in Action award.

SCLT Champions in Action on NBC-10, posted with vodpod

Thanks again to NBC-10 and Citizens Bank for honoring Southside Community Land Trust with its Champions in Action Award!

Read more about the announcement here, and take a look at the video below to learn more about SCLT and the Champions in Action award.

I am at the Buffalo Fling enjoying the company of gardeners and gardens and while I am there I am hoping for more beets, swiss chard and squash. The warm weather is pushing all the vegetables but the soil is... Layanee DeMerchant

I am at the Buffalo Fling enjoying the company of gardeners and gardens and while I am there I am hoping for more beets, swiss chard and squash. The warm weather is pushing all the vegetables but the soil is... Layanee DeMerchant