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SCLT connects more people to more food in 2024

SCLT Youth Representative to the Board, Anini, gives out produce at the 2024 Trinity Square Together block party

SCLT’s Produce Aggregation and VeggieRx programs are making significant strides in the fight against Rhode Island’s growing food insecurity crisis. Over the seven-month 2024 growing season, these initiatives will deliver more than 44,000 pounds of locally grown produce to 9,750 people, with 97% of recipients being low-income residents. This effort represents a crucial intervention in a state where one in three residents – and half of all Black and Latine households – faces food insecurity. Across our programs, we expect to feed more than 25,000 Rhode Islanders before the year ends.

The success of our Aggregation and VeggieRx programs stems from a robust collaboration between SCLT staff,  small scale farmers of color, and more than a dozen partners building community-driven solutions to pressing social issues. Partners include institutional buyers like the state’s Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Sodexo, servicing Providence Public Schools; childcare and senior centers like Beautiful Beginnings and St. Martin de Porres; social services organizations such as Amos House, Project Weber/Renew, and Youth Pride Inc.; and three of RI’s largest healthcare networks: Lifespan, Integra and Clínica Esperanza.

As a modest pilot in 2017, SCLT’s Produce Aggregation program worked with five small-scale farmers to sell $3,500 worth of their fresh produce to three local food enterprises. By 2023, we enrolled 28 farmers in the program and revenues paid to farmers skyrocketed to $190,000, not only supporting local agriculture and local producers, but also enhancing food access for vulnerable communities.

A significant boost to the program came through funding from the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program. This initiative supports the flow of locally grown crops into the emergency food system, providing the funding to compensate farmers at fair market rates for their produce. The LFPA program, emerging in response to the pandemic, aims to procure and distribute local and regional foods that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic areas. But LFPA funding runs out in the early part of the 2025 growing season.

As food insecurity continues to be a pressing issue, the eyes of many are on how to sustain this crucial funding. With ongoing efforts at both federal and state levels, there’s hope that the next Farm Bill may include provisions to continue supporting these vital programs.

Looking ahead, the future holds some promise for these initiatives. The introduction of the Expanding Access To (EAT) Local Foods Act by RI Senator Reed in 2024, with widespread support, could provide dedicated funding for purchasing food from small and local farmers for free distribution through community partners by codifying the successful LFPA model. Additionally, the State of RI Department of Health’s request for a waiver to add healthy food prescriptions and medically tailored meals as new covered benefits under Medicaid could further expand the reach of programs like VeggieRx.

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SCLT’s Youth Program deepens its roots

Youth Staff Leaders James and Aaliyah at Pawtucket’s Galego Community Farm

In South Providence and Pawtucket’s Woodlawn neighborhood, SCLT is nurturing more than healthy soil and robust crops. We’re cultivating the next generation of urban farmers, environmental stewards, and community leaders with our Youth Program. As these youth grow and take root in their communities, they carry with them the seeds of change, promising a brighter, greener future for Rhode Island.

While youth engagement and education have remained foundational throughout SCLT’s four decade history, our Youth Program was first formalized in 2015. Through academic year and summer intensive sessions, the program compensates youth and emerging adults to gain hands-on agricultural experience and valuable work readiness skills. 

But it’s more than just a summer job. For many participants, like 18-year-old Aaliyah, it’s a radical experience. “This has been a huge transformation for me,” she shares. “It’s changed my attitude on life and brought me out of some dark places.” Aaliyah’s journey from a 14-year-old newcomer with a detestation for dirt, to a knowledgeable and networked Youth Staff Leader exemplifies the program’s profound impact.

SCLT’s Youth Program is designed to meet the developmental needs of historically underserved youth, operating with a trauma-informed and compassionate approach and creating safe spaces where youth are heard and can explore their interests in a supportive environment. The program is managed by three trusted SCLT staff who, intentionally, live in and are representative of the communities they serve. Nearly 100% of the participants identify as Black, Latine, or Southeast Asian.

The power of the program is thanks, in large part, to its experienced staff and a growing list of partners who share SCLT’s vision. We are grateful for our longstanding funders, like the Governor’s Workforce Board, the Providence Rotary Charities Foundation, Amica Companies Foundation, Papitto Opportunity Connection, the City of Providence’s One Providence for Youth program, Groundwork RI, the Partnership for Providence Parks, University of RI, RI Food Policy Council, the Northern RI Conservation District, and the Mary Dexter Chafee Fund, who have shaped this program into the unique experience it is today. We thank new funders, including the Rhode Island Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund and Bloom Rhode Island, for recognizing the importance of sustaining SCLT’s Youth Program. SCLT staff continually work to build new relationships with diverse partners who can offer valuable perspectives to our Youth Staff as they move into adulthood.

SCLT’s Youth Program offers participants, aged 14 to 22, a rich and diverse experience. Field trips in 2024 included visits to Open Farms Retreat, Maisey’s Tree Farm, the Brown Design Workshop, the Steel Yard, and the Blackstone River. These excursions provided opportunities for outdoor guided meditation, kayaking, learning about medicinal plants, and exploring sustainable forest and pest management techniques practiced by Indigenous people of Rhode Island. We welcomed visitors from Zero Waste Providence, People’s Port Authority, Harvest Cycle Compost, and Amaryllis to SCLT’s Youth Enterprise Center at our South Providence Healthy Food Hub, to expose Youth Staff to the interrelated issues of environmental justice, urban agriculture, and food systems.

In addition to field work, Youth Staff team up in SCLT’s commercial kitchen, learning safety, food preparation, and storage techniques. Twice each week, they prepare lunch for fellow Youth Staff using produce they have grown at the Somerset Hayward Youth Garden and the Galego Community Farm in Providence and Pawtucket, respectively.

Professional development is a key component of the program. Weekly sessions utilize the Roots of Success (ROS) framework, a nationally recognized education and workforce resource. ROS helps participants build skills needed for today’s workforce, including critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and leadership, as well as environmental, financial, and civic literacy.

In a survey at the end of their summer session last year, one Youth Staff reported “The learning opportunities were immense, the education on life skills was very good, and the balance between helping the community and staff was excellent.” Another noted, “The instruction style worked well in creating a community among the staff of different ages. I liked the field trips that had us learn and experience new things, and the cooking lessons because it showed how we could actually use the produce we grew and make something delicious.” In total, 88% of Youth Staff found their experience with the Youth Program to be very good or excellent.

Looking ahead to 2025, the program plans to expand its offerings and deepen partnerships. New additions include First Aid, CPR, and overdose prevention training for program staff and youth, as well as partnerships with St. Martin de Porres Multiservice Center and Southside Cultural Center for intergenerational urban agriculture programming.

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SCLT Announces Exciting 2024 Workshop Series

All workshops are free | Registration is required | All materials provided to registered attendees Click the links below, or check out our Upcoming Events page for more information on each workshop.

 

Southside Community Land Trust is gearing up for an enriching summer and fall with the announcement of our 2024 workshop series. The series, featuring seven diverse workshops, kicks off Saturday, June 22, and runs through November 15. These free events offer a unique blend of gardening, art, and food justice education, catering to both families and adults.

The series begins with a Container Gardening Workshop on June 22, perfect for urban dwellers and those with limited space. Participants will create their own container gardens to take home, learning essential skills from SCLT’s Director of Special Projects and Master Gardener, Tarshire Battle. As summer progresses, attendees can look forward to EcoArt workshops, including Cyanoprinting at City Farm on July 25 and Landscape with Tape at Good Earth Farm on August 23.

For those interested in food preservation, an Introduction to Canning workshop is scheduled for August 14. This hands-on session will guide participants through the process of making and canning tomato sauce. The workshop will be co-hosted by Tarshire Battle and Andraly Horn, an organic farmer at Open fArms Retreat.

As autumn approaches, SCLT continues to offer creative opportunities with Mixed Media and Papermaking workshops in September and October, respectively. The series concludes with a thought-provoking Food Justice Workshop on November 15, exploring the historical context and contemporary issues surrounding food justice in Rhode Island.

These events not only offer practical skills and creative outlets but also promote environmental sustainability and community engagement. Whether you’re a gardening enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or someone passionate about food justice, SCLT’s 2024 workshop series promises something for everyone.

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Thank you for being part of Plant Sale 2024

The 32nd annual Rare and Unusual Plant Sale was an incredible success, thanks to everyone who came out to share our vision of sustainable urban agriculture, fresh affordable food, and green spaces for all. Special appreciation is given to the hardworking and dedicated volunteers who made it such a special weekend. We were delighted to see so many familiar faces, and to make even more new friends, at this year’s Plant Sale.

Nearly 2,000 visitors browsed a sea of 20,000 fruit, veggie, herb, and perennial plants at our 32nd Annual Plant Sale in May. In addition to staples like ‘tomato world,’ populated by more than 60 varieties, the sale focused on plants with medicinal qualities. Shoppers scooped up tulsi to turn into cold-busting teas, and valerian, whose roots can relieve anxiety, among dozens of others.

Plant Sale is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds go directly to community gardens and farmseducation programs, and to advocating for equal access to healthy, affordable foods.

Members: the SCLT membership program not only provides you with benefits that help you plant a great spring garden, but it provides us with funds that help with operations all year long. Plus, members get to shop a special preview hour before the Sale opens to the general public, and discounts on every purchase! We appreciate you and your continued support.

What will Plant Sale 2025 bring? Stay tuned for announcements! We look forward to seeing our community for the 33rd annual Plant Sale, coming May 17 & 18, 2025.

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SCLT’s farmer-run Garden Center now open

SCLT’s The Good Earth Farm & Garden Center is now open. Visitors are invited to the farmer-run Garden Center, Friday through Sunday, 10am to 2pm, at 1800 Scituate Ave in Cranston, where Blue Skys Farm, Geek Garden, Philip Farm, Serenity Farm, and Somi Farm sell hyper-local, affordable, and culturally familiar produce, garden supplies, and wellness goods.

Still looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Visit the Garden Center for greenhouse-grown houseplants, from monstera to jade, plus decorative hanging baskets and cut flowers. New this year, the Garden Center features herbal teas, culinary seasonings, and other fine products from Sanctuary Herbs of Providence.

In addition to cool weather crops like bok choy, kale, and spinach, plus plant starts including strawberry and raspberry, asparagus, and a variety of herbs, the Garden Center now has organic fertilizers and compost, seed potatoes, and Coast of Main premium potting mix available. Everyone knows: healthy plants start with healthy soil!

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Thank you, 401 Gives Donors!

SCLT received $31,117 across two days of the United Way’s 401 Gives fundraiser this year. The funds will support our agricultural, arts, and cultural educational programs for children, plus our workforce development program for youth and emerging adults. Each year, SCLT employs approximately 50 youth, aged 14 to 24, from Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls. These Youth Staff and Food System Interns are exposed to career opportunities in agriculture and related sciences, experience hands-on training from culinary skills to environmental stewardship, and engage with a supportive professional development track.

United Way of RI reports that 597 nonprofit and community organizations across the state received $3.8 million, a new record for 401 Gives in 2024. Moreover, 20% more donors participated this year over last. Thank you for this much-needed support! If you meant to give but missed the event, your generosity is always welcome here.

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RI’s small & urban farmers paying outsized taxes for decades

The Small & Urban Farms Success bill was introduced to the RI House and Senate earlier this year by 10 State Representatives and was heard by the RI House and Senate this spring. Championed by a coalition of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, SCLT, and a network of farmers, including Open Farms Retreat‘s Andraly Horn and Sienna Viette, this legislation has the power to level the playing field by creating tax relief programs for small and urban farms that are similar to the programs that have been available for more than 30 years to larger, rural farms in our state.

RI’s current tax programs don’t meet the food or economic needs of our communities, and they don’t match our coalition’s commitment to equity. These programs need an update so that more Rhode Islanders can eat fresh, healthy, and affordable food grown right here in our tiny state, where the cost of agricultural land keeps going up, and the size of farms keeps going down.

Hear from several small and urban farmers on what this change would mean for the future of their farm businesses and the resiliency of our local food system:

 

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SCLT growers graduate from Technology Basics course

 

Nine farmers and gardeners in SCLT’s network recently completed a six-week Technology Basics course, gaining practical skills to help navigate daily digital life. This training series was made possible through a partnership with the Providence Public Library (PPL), which supplied a laptop for each participant and instructors who could give focused support to learners.

SCLT hosted the sessions in the community training space at our 404 Broad Street Healthy Food Hub in Providence. From late January to early March 2024, learners gathered once per week for two to three hours. Sessions covered online essentials like security practices and scam recognition, website navigation, account setup, and email basics. Designed for our growers, participants also learned about reliable places to shop for farm and garden supplies online and what the typical ordering process entails.

SCLT staff were led by Administrative Manager Tammy Kim and Urban Edge Farm Manager Ben Torpey. The opportunity was widely promoted to our network of over 40 farmers and nearly 400 community gardeners. In the neighborhoods where SCLT works, 50% of residents speak a language other than English at home. And 34 different languages are spoken on our properties. Meanwhile, most resources to build digital skills are available exclusively in English. Tammy and Ben arranged for interpreters so the program could help non-English speakers overcome two barriers – tech literacy and English literacy.

Because of the success of our pilot partnership, SCLT hopes to again work with PPL to bring this equitable and accessible programming to more of our neighbors.

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SCLT awarded farm tool grant by SNEFCC

Beginning farmers using farm tools to improve the quality of soil and the produce they grow.

The nearly 400 growers in SCLT’s community gardens network will get a boost this spring, thanks to a farm tool grant from the Southern New England Farmers of Color Collaborative (SNEFCC). The organization brings together stakeholders who want to increase the success of beginning farmers of color across the region’s six states. For the last three years, SNEFCC has made grants that aim to support these farmers in developing the skills, resources, and capabilities needed to build and sustain successful farm enterprises.

Approaching his first anniversary as SCLT’s Community Gardens Network Associate, Blong Yang authored the successful proposal for the tool stipend.  The award will enable Blong and Community Gardens Network Director Andrew Cook to purchase close to $5,000 in tools like rakes, shovels, loppers, digging forks, and rototillers. These have been identified as the top needs on an ever-evolving wishlist of resources requested by gardeners whose produce feeds their families and their communities.

In 2023, food grown by SCLT farmers and gardeners ended up on the plates of over 23,250 people, at least 97% of whom live in low-income communities where fresh, healthy, and delicious food is hard to find and harder to afford. An average of 32% of residents in the communities we serve live in low-access census tracts, meaning they live more than a mile from a source of fresh food. Outside our garden walls, the fresh foods commonly available are not culturally familiar to the people living in these communities, where 32% of residents were born outside of the US. The small and urban growers in our network and across the state are vital to meeting the needs of our food-insecure neighbors.

This year’s SNEFCC Tool Stipend grant was particularly competitive, and SCLT is grateful to have been a recipient. SNEFCC makes these stipends available as part of a grant awarded by the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). SCLT is a past and current recipient of BFRDP grants. We’ve used the funds, among other purposes, to fuel our Farm Apprentice program. Apprentices are beginning farmers who are matched with an experienced farmer – often someone they already know – and are compensated for participating in an immersive and unique career readiness curriculum that includes linguistically appropriate agricultural business management training. In 2024, with our BFRDP funding and with support from the SNEFCC stipend, we’ll continue to support seven Apprentices who participated in the program last year, all of whom identify as people of color.

Gratefully, this stipend alleviates some of the tool needs for the hundreds of people working the land in SCLT’s 22 gardens across Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls. However, the need for shareable, reliable, well-maintained tools remains an ongoing issue for our network of growers. Check out our Resource Wishlist and consider making a donation of your new or gently used tools to support the work of our growers.

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Greenwich Garden has fresh start to 2024 growing season

Properties & Equipment Coordinator Dan Roberts (left) and Community Garden Network Associate Blong Yang survey a successful bed rebuild while Food System Intern Frank Jolifier prepares the next.

Backed by our Burnett Community Garden and neighbored by residences and an elementary school, Greenwich Garden this winter received its first major facelift since SCLT established the green space in 2011. Led by Andrew Cook, Community Garden Network Director, and Blong Yang, Garden Network Associate, the project brought together SCLT staff, Greenwich gardeners, and volunteers from partner organizations who got their hands dirty to help make important improvements to the busy garden.

Twenty gardeners cultivate 38 plots at Greenwich Garden. A majority of them live within walking distance, by design. Greenwich’s gardeners are mainly individuals and families, with a few who sell their produce at local markets. In the garden, you’ll hear Swahili, Kirundi, and French spoken. The Garden Network team worked with Marie Uwera to develop the project. Uwera has served as Garden Leader since its 2011. With a network of 22 community gardens in the Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls area, the team maintains an active priority list of projects and is kept busy addressing them throughout the year.

Some garden bed walls had been replaced here and there through the years, but after more than a decade of piecemeal patches, the garden’s years were showing. The goals in the remodel were many. Eliminating redundant pathways between plots increases plantable space. It also means fewer bed edges to maintain, meaning the project is less expense in the long run. Before the revamp, walking paths disrupted the distance between beds and barrier fences; now, gardeners can plant climbing plants and use the fences to trellis their growth. The project is climate smart, too, with the design shown to provide better temperature modulation and improved water retention.

Lending a hand to Andrew and Blong, several other SCLT staff picked up shovels and pitched in. We owe special thanks to volunteers from UNFI, who weren’t afraid to dive into the project, helping with everything from hauling lumber to weed whacking. Youth Staff from SCLT’s Pawtucket Youth Program spent a shift clearing the site and readying it for the coming growing season.

 

Interested in a plot? Read more about our Community Gardens program.

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