Starting this month, local farmers resumed their weekly drop-offs of fresh produce at 404 Broad Street’s Farm-to-Market Center, where SCLT aggregation staff sort and store it briefly before it is delivered to clients throughout Greater Providence. Last year 23 farmers sold their produce through this program to six hunger relief agencies, as well as to our own VeggieRx produce prescription program. This much-needed nutritious food reached 1200 people and netted farmers close to $100,000.
The awards keep coming for 404 Broad Street
Who says only bad things come in threes?
On June 22, SCLT was honored with a Smart Growth Award for the historic preservation of 404 Broad Street, our new headquarters in South Providence. This was the third recent award given to the building: In May, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design, which envisioned the $5.8 million renovation project, won a Merit Award in the Congress for the New Urbanism 2023 Charter Awards competition. And last November, the Providence Preservation Society singled out the building with its Mission-Driven Preservation Award.
2023 market season resumes at Armory Park
To the delight of shoppers and growers alike, farmers market season is underway in Rhode Island. Exciting new vendors, featured popups, and family-friendly fun comes to the Armory Park Market this year, one of the longest continually operating markets in the area.
Now open every Thursday from June 1 through October 26, 3pm to 7pm at 85 Parade Street in Providence, the market’s evening hours, ample parking, and vendor variety make it a convenient one-stop shop. New to the market this year are cheese, ice cream, and bread vendors. Special guests make appearances throughout the market season, from resource organizations to performers. Of course, perennial vendors like SCLT’s City Farm, are glad to return to this established market.
For more than 25 years, “Armory Market has been representative of the diversity of the neighborhood, from vendors to patrons. And it doesn’t get more hyper-local than this!” City Farm Steward and longtime market vendor Rich Pederson says. Standing at City Farm, less than a mile from Armory Park, Rich and a small team of SCLT staff, interns, and volunteers carefully handle bunches of apple mint, sage, green garlic, and lettuce they harvested from the grounds within the last two hours. SCLT’s Ellen Asermely, who has dual-duty as Youth Education Coordinator and City Farm assistant, adds that the overall experience draws her to this market. “It’s afternoons in a beautiful park, with food trucks and music and good vibes.”
Be sure to visit the Armory Park Market to get a taste of the new flavors!
Seeking youth, 14-18, for summer jobs in Providence and Pawtucket
Southside Community Land Trust is offering 6-week summer jobs based at urban farms in Providence and Pawtucket, from July 5 to August 15.
As SCLT youth staff, you will work together to help build a community food system where food is affordable, healthy, and culturally appealing. You will also:
- learn how to grow delicious, healthy food
- learn about sustainable growing practices, environmental resilience and land stewardship
- learn about nutrition and cooking, and make healthy lunches for the program
- work towards/earn certification in food and workplace safety (ServSafe and OSHA 10)
Providence activities will be based at Somerset Hayward Youth Enterprise Farm in South Providence. The Pawtucket program will be based at Galego Community Farm in Pawtucket.
Youth staff will be selected based on their interest in positively impacting their communities and willingness to engage in hands-on farming, cooking and food access tasks.
Applications are available here.
The deadline for applying is 5 p.m. on Tues., June 13.
This project is funded by the RI Governor’s Workforce Board, One PVD for Youth, the Papitto Opportunity Connection, Amica Charities Foundation, the Island Foundation, Bank of America, Textron, and other funders. Thank you for your support!
Farmers add new flavors to beloved farmers market
With the outdoor farmers market season already underway, we wanted to share that one of the most successful markets in the state, the Hope Street Farmers Market (HSFM) in Providence, is bringing on six new farms for its 2023 season.Four are run by SCLT-network farmers growing at Urban Edge Farm in Cranston.
The new additions are Charlotte Uwimpuhwe (Charlotte’s Farm), Blia Moua and his wife Mai Lee (Wilson Community Farm), Chai Thao and her husband Leng Yang (Daily Farm), and Christina Dedora (Sanctuary Herbs). Each is eager to connect with new customers at this well-run, well-attended market and sell their produce, including amaranth, Thai peppers, butter ball and bitter melon, as well as more familiar vegetables, herbs and teas.
The HSFM was named one of the 10 best farmers markets in the country by USA Today in 2019, and regularly wins in the “Best of” category in RI Monthly’s annual competition. It draws large crowds (and dozens of friendly dogs) on Saturday mornings, and features live music, food trucks, and the Providence Artisans Market along Blackstone Boulevard. Its festival vibe can obscure that, for farmers, selling here can significantly affect their earnings.
Many people don’t realize that the 32-year-old HSFM was founded by an SCLT Board Member, Sandy Parsons. It began as the DownCity Farmers Market Cooperative with a handful of farmers in Kennedy Plaza before relocating to the grounds at Hope High School. It moved again, a couple of miles up the street to
Lippitt Park, in 2008. Despite the moves and the increase in participating farmers over the years, some changes were gradual.
Getting a spot at the HSFM hasn’t been easy because farmers tend to stay for years. But, attrition caused by the pandemic created several openings. SCLT staff urged farmers we work with to pursue this opportunity for them to grow their businesses and for the HSFM to better represent the BIPOC farmers in the state.
“In the early days, all the farmers at local markets were white,” said longtime SCLT volunteer and market-goer Elaine Cali. “The farmers from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean have brought a richness by introducing customers to produce from their home countries. And, they love to talk to customers about how to prepare and enjoy them.”
While the juried market will have more farmers and vendors this season than ever (48), Market Manager Rui David describes the growth as “thoughtful, manageable, and sustainable.” The HSFM accepts only “farmers and food artisans” from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. One of the criteria is that a participant’s “product will add to the overall diversity of the market without negatively impacting the financial success of current full-time vendors.” After applications are reviewed by a committee of current farmers and vendors they are voted on by all market association members in the spring.
The new farmers from Urban Edge Farm will join several others over the years with connections to SCLT. Besides City Farm, these include Pat’s Pastured, Zephyr Farm, and Greenleaf Farm. Stop by and ask any of them about their products. You may very well bring home something that adds fantastic new flavors to your next meal.
Learn more about the HSFM and check out their 2023 schedule at hopestreetmarket.com.
– Jenny Boone, Grants & Communications Manager
Caption above: Chai and Christina (standing), Blia and Charlotte, inside one of the greenhouses at Urban Edge Farm.
Southside Smoothie – New Retail Partner
After participating in the Taste of Trinity event held at Southside Community Land Trust’s headquarters in early April, Eric Mercado, community activist and owner of Southside Smoothie, recently revisited the Healthy Food Hub at 404 Broad Street to learn more about our operations.
Record number of farmers win state-funded LASA grants
On Tues., Feb. 21, the RI Department of Environmental Management announced the winners of the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act grant program’s (LASA) 2022 funding cycle.
New headquarters wins historic preservation award
Unless you’ve lived in Providence for a long, long time, you probably wouldn’t know that our newly renovated building at 404 Broad Street started out as a livery, where neighbors stored their horses and carriages.
