(401) 273-9419
sclt@southsideclt.org

Farmers, Experts, Friends: Good Earth Farm Garden Center & Farmer Co-Op

06/03/2026 sam shepherd Good Earth Farm

At 1800 Scituate Avenue in Cranston, on the grounds of SCLT’s 20-acre Good Earth Farm, three farmers run a garden center unlike anything you’ll find at a big box store. The Good Earth Farm Garden Center & Farmer Co-Op is managed collaboratively by Nayeema Eusuf of Geek Gardens, Phillip Yang of Phillip’s Farm, and Christina Dedora of Sanctuary Herbs of Providence, who grows the herbs and botanicals that go into her teas and culinary mixes in eyesight of where they’re processed and sold. These are people who have grown what they’re selling, know every variety by name, and can tell you exactly how it will perform in a Rhode Island summer.

The current herb selection alone is worth the trip: chocolate mint, peppermint, spearmint, applemint, lavender, multiple varieties of thyme and basil, culantro, epazote, holy basil/tulsi, pineapple sage, catnip, lemon balm, upright and trailing rosemary, Mexican mint marigold, bee balm, Roman chamomile, fennel, dill, and more. Beyond herbs, the co-op carries houseplants, perennials, fruit and vegetable starts, and an ever-changing selection of plants grown specifically for this region’s climate and conditions. Whatever your growing situation, there’s someone on site who can help you figure out what will actually thrive.

While you’re there, visit Sanctuary Herbs’ shop for herbal teas, culinary seasonings, and botanical products made almost entirely from ingredients grown within a mile of where you’re standing. It’s as local as it gets.

The Good Earth Farm Garden Center & Farmer Co-Op is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Read more

Last Call: SCLT Accepting Applications for Food Access Associate Role

06/03/2026 sam shepherd Aggregation, SCLT jobs, VeggieRx

Every week during the growing season, SCLT’s Healthy Food Access program moves hundreds of shares of fresh, locally grown produce from SCLT-network farmers to the Rhode Islanders who need it most. That work happens through two interconnected programs: our Produce Aggregation Program, which partners with community organizations like Amos House, Project Weber/Renew, Youth Pride Inc., and the West End Community Center to deliver fresh produce directly to their clients, and VeggieRx, a food-as-medicine model through which healthcare providers prescribe locally grown vegetables to patients as part of their care. In a state where 38% of households face food insecurity, rising to 55% among Latino households and 47% among Black households, this program is doing essential work.

The person SCLT hires as Seasonal Food Access Associate will be in the middle of all of it: coordinating with farmers, supporting deliveries, and helping the program run smoothly through the 2026 growing season. The position runs July through mid-November, up to 25 hours per week, at $20 to $23 per hour. Bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

SCLT is wrapping up the search for the right candidate. To apply, click the position description link above to learn more, then send a resume and cover letter to Kakeena Castro, Healthy Food Access Program Manager, at kakeena@southsideclt.org. Please include “Seasonal Food Access Associate” in the subject line. Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.

Read more

Outdoor Market Season Is Here: Where to Find SCLT Farmers

06/03/2026 sam shepherd City Farm, Farmers Market

Farmers Charlotte, Blia, Chai, and Christina, representing Charlotte’s Farm, Wilson Community Farm, Daily Farm, and Sanctuary Herbs of Providence

Every spring, farmers and market gardeners in SCLT’s network load up their vehicles and head to farmers markets across the state, bringing with them the fruits of months of planning, planting, and tending. This is a varied group: some farm on plots at SCLT-managed properties like Urban Edge Farm and Good Earth Farm in Cranston, while others grow in urban community garden plots across Providence. What these farmers share is a commitment to growing fresh, nutritious, and culturally familiar produce for the communities around them, and a connection to SCLT’s 45-year-old network of land, resources, and technical support. When you shop with SCLT-network farmers and market gardeners, your food dollars go directly to the small-scale producers who stock Rhode Island’s local food system with fresh produce grown close to home.

City Farm, SCLT’s own urban production and demonstration farm and the longest-operating farm of its kind in the state, also sells at farmers markets. Proceeds from City Farm’s market sales support SCLT programming year-round.

Here’s where to find SCLT-network farmers and market gardeners in 2026.

 

Armory Park Farmers Market

Thursdays | 3-7pm

June 4 – October 29, 2026

Dexter Training Grounds | Providence, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Charlotte’s Farm, City Farm, Teo’s Products, Marie’s Farm, Seraphina’s Farm, Natural Foods, Ada’s Farm, Zera’s Farm, Greenleaf Farm, Loffa Farm

Managed by Farm Fresh Rhode Island, the Armory Park Farmers Market is one of the anchor events of Providence’s summer food scene, drawing a wide mix of vendors and a loyal neighborhood crowd to the Dexter Training Grounds each Thursday evening. Throughout the season, FFRI hosts rotating special events including Kids’ Days with activities for all ages, live theater performances, live music, and food trucks. Follow FFRI on social media for the latest schedule of events and vendor updates.

Broad Street Farmers Market

Saturdays | 8am-12pm

June 6 – October 31, 2026

807 Broad St | Providence, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Purple Corn Farm, Annie’s Farm, Chia’s Farm, Potters Farm

One of Providence’s most culturally diverse markets, the Broad Street Farmers Market is run by FFRI and serves a neighborhood that reflects the full breadth of Providence’s immigrant and multilingual communities. SCLT-network farmers bring specialty and culturally familiar produce alongside the season’s staples. Like all FFRI markets, SNAP/EBT, WIC, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers are accepted, and Bonus Bucks doubles SNAP dollar for dollar on fresh fruits and vegetables. Special events rotate throughout the season, so follow FFRI for updates.

Central Falls Farmers Market

Tuesdays | 3-6pm

July 7 – October 27, 2026

621 Dexter St | Central Falls, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Wilson Community Farm, Teo’s Products

Held at Children’s Friend in Central Falls, this FFRI market serves one of the most densely populated and food-insecure communities in New England. SCLT-network farmers are a core part of what makes fresh, locally grown produce accessible here each week. SNAP/EBT, WIC, and Senior FMNP vouchers accepted, with Bonus Bucks available. Check FFRI’s social media for special events throughout the season.

Sankofa World Market

Wednesdays | 2-6pm

May 6 – October 28, 2026

275 Elmwood Ave | Providence, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Purple Corn Farm, Kia, Wilson Community Farm, Daily Farm, Loffa Farm, Teo’s Products, Basil Farm

The Sankofa World Market, a program of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, is one of Providence’s most distinctive farmers markets, built explicitly around food, culture, and community in the West End. The market highlights specialty crops from its diverse mix of growers, including bitter ball, bitter melon, sweet potato greens, bitter leaf, luffa, Asian corn, amaranth, water spinach, and long beans. Weekly live music and cooking demonstrations round out the experience. SNAP/EBT and WIC accepted.

Hope Street Farmers Market

Saturdays | 9am-1pm

May 2 – October 31, 2026

1015 Hope St | Providence, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Charlotte’s Farm, City Farm, Sanctuary Herbs of Providence, Wilson Community Farm, Daily Farm, Greenleaf Farm

The largest farmers market in Rhode Island and a past USA Today top-10 farmers market in the country, the Hope Street Farmers Market is a farmer-run cooperative created and managed by the farmers and food artisans who sell there. Set in Lippitt Memorial Park where Hope Street meets Blackstone Boulevard, the market features live acoustic music every Saturday, making it as much a community gathering as a weekly shopping trip. The Providence Artisans Market runs concurrently at the southern end of the park through the end of October. Several vendors accept pre-orders for quick pickup; check the Hope Street Farmers Market website for details.

Garden City Center Farmers Market

Sundays | 10am-2pm

June 7 – October 18, 2026

100 Midway Rd | Cranston, RI

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Marie’s Farm

Operated in partnership with Rhode Island Night Market, the Garden City Center Farmers Market transforms the gazebo green into a vibrant open-air market each Sunday. The lineup includes locally grown produce, pantry staples, handmade goods, and seasonal favorites, with live music from 11am-2pm every week. The market is part of the RI Grown program, and admission is free.

Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market

Saturdays | 9am-noon

May 3 – October 25, 2026

60 Rhodes Place | Cranston, RI 02905

SCLT Network Farmers you’ll find: Daily Farm, Pak Express

One of the oldest farmers markets in Rhode Island, the Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market has been a Saturday morning tradition at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet for decades. Part of the West Bay Land Trust, the market offers fresh produce alongside prepared foods from local makers in a scenic riverside setting.

 

Seven markets spread across the area from May through October, and SCLT-network farmers and market gardeners will be at them, tables piled high with fresh, seasonal vegetables, herbs, and farm products. Make a habit of stopping by, getting to know the people who grew what you’re buying, and spending your food dollars close to home. The 2026 growing season is just getting started!

Read more

Bloom Rhode Island Awards Largest-Ever Gift to SCLT

06/03/2026 sam shepherd Southside Community Land Trust

Youth Staff at Galego Community Farm, Summer 2025

Galego Community Farm has been part of SCLT’s work in Pawtucket for more than a decade. Tucked into a 161-unit affordable housing development where nearly half of residents live below the poverty line, the farm sits on land that has long held potential to be something more: a genuine gathering place, a green refuge, a site that signals to the people who live there that their neighborhood is worth investing in. This spring, SCLT received the funding to start making that real.

In March, Bloom Rhode Island announced a $50,000 Violet Grant award to SCLT, the largest single gift the initiative has ever made. Named after Rhode Island’s state flower, the Violet Grant was created to support high-profile planting projects that bring joy and beauty to Rhode Island’s cities. Bloom Rhode Island Program Manager Kevin Essington described the award this way: “Southside Community Land Trust has improved food access for thousands of people, using urban properties to grow food and build community. We are thrilled to expand this work to joyful cut-flowers, bringing bursts of natural beauty into people’s homes while lifting up local young people.”

The funding will support a significant transformation of Galego Community Farm’s landscape. Plans include native flowering and pollinator meadows, expanded cut-flower gardens, educational signage, and intentional gathering spaces with regular open hours for residents of Galego Court and the surrounding neighborhood. The expansion builds on what SCLT has already learned from working at the site. “People from Galego Court like to hang out here but not garden as much,” said Chandelle Wilson, SCLT’s Youth & Education Program Manager. “We learned last year that flowers attract our neighbors into the garden, not just here but at our farms in the Southside of Providence.”

Galego will continue to operate as a production and demonstration farm, where youth from SCLT’s Workforce Development program and the Green Changemakers, a joint program of SCLT and Groundwork RI, learn and work alongside experienced farmers. As part of this Bloom project, four young people from SCLT’s Workforce Development program will participate in the design and implementation of the new landscape plans, earning competitive wages while building portfolios and developing skills in green industry careers.

There is a lot of work ahead. The landscape transformation at Galego is a multi-phase project, and this summer marks the beginning of a new phase. SCLT will share updates on the progress, the people doing the work, and the space as it takes shape.

We are grateful to Bloom Rhode Island for this investment in the community at Galego Court, and we look forward to the neighbors, the young people, and the flowers doing the rest.

Read more

$3 Million for Farmland Preservation Included in RI Budget

06/03/2026 sam shepherd Farmland Access, Food Justice

Rhode Island’s farmland is the most expensive in the country. While the United States farm real estate value averaged $4,350 per acre in 2025, Rhode Island’s average sits at $22,500, according to the USDA’s 2025 Land Values Summary. That disparity, along with our small size, puts Rhode Island farmland under constant and intensifying pressure from development. The farmers who work the land, particularly new and beginning farmers, face barriers to land access that are unlike anywhere else in the nation.

Against that backdrop, and in a budget year that arrived with a structural deficit and little apparent appetite for conservation spending, advocates won something meaningful. Recently, the House Finance Committee approved a revised Green Bond totaling $55 million, up from Governor McKee’s proposed $50 million, with $3 million designated for farmland preservation and $3 million for open space acquisition. According to ecoRI News, Speaker Blazejewski told reporters: “Our caucus spoke over and over again about making the Green Bond greener. And we did just that.” The bond heads to a full House vote expected on June 5, before going to voters in November.

The Rhode Island Land Trust Council coordinated much of the advocacy effort, and SCLT was among the organizations that showed up to make the case. Executive Director Margaret DeVos and Properties & Farms Manager Matthew Tracy both provided testimony in support of the legislation. American Farmland Trust‘s New England program also testified, citing projections that Rhode Island stands to lose 8,100 acres of farmland by 2040 under current development trends, representing a 13.7% loss in farm output and 600 jobs. The Agricultural Land Preservation Commission, which has permanently protected 129 farms and roughly 8,252 acres since 1985, will be among the primary beneficiaries of the new funding.

Farmland preservation is not the only legislative priority SCLT has been working on this session. SCLT played an essential role in authoring the Urban & Small Farm Success Act (H7242/S2827), and continues to work alongside partners including the Rhode Island Food Policy Council and other stakeholders to advocate for its passage. The legislation would extend equitable access to state agricultural tax programs and support to farms under five acres, a threshold that currently excludes much of Rhode Island’s urban and small-scale farming community. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Environment & Agriculture Committee, and SCLT will continue pushing for its passage with both state legislators and the small farmer community across Rhode Island.

There are two ways Rhode Islanders can help carry this work forward. When the Green Bond appears on the November ballot, a yes vote will put the $3 million for farmland preservation to work protecting the working lands that feed this state. And the Urban & Small Farm Success Act still needs to clear the Senate. SCLT will be sharing specific opportunities to advocate for the bill in the weeks ahead, including ways to connect directly with state legislators. Follow SCLT on social media and keep an eye on your inbox for updates on how to get involved: Instagram | Facebook

Read more

Record Attendance & A Community to Thank: Plant Sale 2026

06/03/2026 sam shepherd City Farm, Food Justice, Plant Sale, Volunteer

Plant Sale 2026 belongs to the community that made it happen!

On May 16 and 17, 2,800 people came through City Farm for SCLT’s 34th Annual Rare & Unusual Plant Sale, a new record. Plant sale shoppers took home more plants than in any previous year, which means more food growing in more backyards, balconies, and community plots across Rhode Island. As SCLT’s largest fundraiser, those sales directly support the programs that keep this organization running: the community gardens and urban farms, the farmer training and apprenticeships, the food access work, the youth workforce development programming, and the year-round educational opportunities hosted at City Farm, the state’s longest-operating production and demonstration urban farm.

Every year, Kathy G. Johnson‘s poster is how many people first know Plant Sale is coming. For more than a decade, Kathy, local artist, author, and lecturer has designed the iconic artwork that announces the Sale. This year’s poster centered on the theme of companion planting, an intentional choice that speaks to something larger than gardening: the compounding positive effects of a strong, supportive community. Beyond a digital design, a limited run of handprinted, signed, and numbered posters go to committee members, musicians, and Plant Sale VIPs. Each one is a collector’s item.

More than three dozen volunteers showed up across the weekend to set up tents, staff the register, and help shoppers find exactly the right plant for their light conditions, their container, their grandmother’s recipe. Many came through SCLT’s longstanding corporate and institutional partners, including Santander, Point32Health Foundation, Fidelity Foundation, and Care New England, whose staff showed up ready to work and left as part of the community. Every volunteer helped make this event feel like a genuine neighborhood celebration.

That celebration had a soundtrack. Circle of the Drum, 18 Wheeler, Raffini, Phil Edmonds, Chris Monti, the ‘Mericans, Shira & Tabitha Rose, Community Music Works, and Jake Haller each brought something different to the weekend, from a cappella to folk to storytelling, and the music carried across the farm all day, both days. It was, as Plant Sale Committee Chair and Board Secretary Candace Cooney described it, “joyous energy made tangible.”

Behind the scenes, the planning committee made it all possible. Some members have been involved since the very beginning, all 34 years of it. Others joined for the first time this year. Each member brings something the event couldn’t do without, and their commitment is why Plant Sale feels as alive and well-organized in its fourth decade as it did in its first.

The plants themselves deserve their own acknowledgment. City Farm Stewards Rich Pederson and Ellen Asermely, along with a carefully crafted schedule of interns, volunteers, and friends, grew all 20,000 plants featured at the Sale on-site at the three-quarter-acre City Farm. Supplementing that abundance, generous donations came from nurseries and growers including Issima Works, Blue Moon Farm Perennials, Briggs Nursery, Blithewold Manor Garden & Arboretum, Central Nurseries Inc., Jacavone Garden Center, Stamp Farms, and Homegrown, as well as from the many private gardeners who dug native perennials from their own gardens and donated them to the Sale.

Keeping volunteers fueled through a hot, sunny weekend was no small thing: deep thanks to Hope & Main, Knead Doughnuts, and Sandwich Hut, local and small businesses who gave generously of their goods, alongside Whole Foods, Walmart, and BJ’s, whose contributions kept the crew going from setup to breakdown.

Every year, Plant Sale extends beyond the weekend. After the sale closes, SCLT donates remaining plants to public libraries, community centers, gardens, and social service organizations across the state, maintaining and forging connections that reflect the same values the Plant Sale was built on. This year’s recipients included Movement Education Outdoors, the South Providence, Washington Park, Olneyville, and Knight Memorial libraries, West End Community Center, Galego Community Farm, Somerset Community Garden, Mt. Hope Community Garden, Roots 2Empower, St. Martin de Porres Multi-Service Center, The Gordon School, Groundwork RI, Peace & Plenty Community Garden, West Elmwood Community Plant Swap, The River Church, Farm Fresh RI’s Hope’s Harvest, Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, Amos House, Boston Food Forest Coalition, and SCLT’s own Youth Enterprise Farm.

To everyone who came out, volunteered, planned, performed, donated, and carried this work forward into their own communities: thank you!

The 35th Annual Rare & Unusual Plant Sale will be Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, 2027. Will you be there?

Read more

Rare & Unusual Plant Sale Returns for 34th Season

04/28/2026 sam shepherd City Farm, Plant Sale

 

Last year, more than 1,200 people showed up on day one alone, and nearly 20,000 plants found new homes across Rhode Island. This May, we’re doing it again! SCLT’s 34th Annual Rare & Unusual Plant Sale returns to City Farm on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, from 10am to 2pm, rain or shine. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, bring your whole block.

“The SCLT Plant Sale is such a special event because it allows people to gather around a common cause and celebrate the kick-off of the gardening season,” says Plant Sale Committee Chair and Board Secretary Candace Cooney. “To me, it serves as a beacon of light in times when the world feels a little dark. This year, people can expect joyous energy, a sense of community, and of course, beautiful plants!”

Thousands of rare and unusual vegetable, herb, annual, and perennial plants will be available, with varieties you won’t find at your typical garden center. SCLT members get a head start with exclusive early access on Saturday morning.

“The Plant Sale has been central to SCLT’s mission for decades,” says City Farm Steward Rich Pederson.

As SCLT’s biggest fundraiser of the year, the Sale’s reach extends well beyond the weekend: hundreds of remaining plants are donated to libraries, community centers, gardens, and social service organizations across RI.

Staff and volunteers speaking Spanish, French, Swahili, Kirundi, and Hmong will be on hand to welcome everyone. Want to join the volunteer crew? Sign up today!

Read more

The Future Is Coming Into Focus: Urban Edge Farm Food Hub

04/28/2026 sam shepherd Aggregation, Food Justice, Urban Edge Farm

The roof is on. The windows are in. At Urban Edge Farm in Cranston, the first phase of SCLT’s second food hub is 75% complete. The new building rising on the landscape is only part of our decades-long story at Urban Edge.

Next door, a renovated dairy barn is part

of a longer-term vision for a full farm infrastructure campus at Urban Edge, where farmers can move seamlessly from harvest to processing to market. In future phases, the campus will offer kitchen, classroom, food processing, meeting, and shop space, where farmers can gather, learn, and build their operations. The campus will bring to life what our expanding network of farmers and long-time partners at the RI Department of Environmental Management have helped to envision: a complete, professional-grade infrastructure system designed around farmer needs.

Behind the scenes, our properties, farmer training, and food access teams are already deep in preparation mode, sourcing equipment, attending food safety trainings, and laying the groundwork for the rollout of a multilingual farmer training program. When the doors open at the new food hub this fall, more than 150 agricultural producers across RI will be ready to walk through them.

Read more

Contact Us

Southside Community Land Trust
404 Broad Street
Providence, RI 02907
sclt@southsideclt.org
Tel: (401) 273-9419
Fax: (401) 273-5712

Click here to Join Our e-Mail List

Connect With Us

©Southside Community Land Trust is a nonprofit organization in the State of Rhode Island.