Two weeks into SCLT’s summer youth program, nearly three dozen high school youth are busy learning how to tend, harvest and cook with fresh produce, as well as provide their neighbors with information about nutrition and climate change.
Step back and learn the shared history of our land
The Young Farmer Network, an informal group of farmers in Southeastern New England, works to bridge knowledge gaps and battle the isolation and burn-out of farm work with workshops, social gatherings and farm tours. On March 16, YFN hosted “Stories of the Land” an oral history presentation and workshop at the Southside Cultural Center to help educate farmers and community members about the history of their land.
Parent/child nutrition classes underway in Pawtucket
Preschoolers and parents in the Pawtucket Adult Education program participated in a two-week nutrition workshop led by SCLT to learn about healthy food and how to incorporate it into their diets. The program, developed last fall by SCLT Program Associate Alyssa Rooks, delivers food and gardening workshops to adults in their GED and English language learners program.
Say hello to our new staff
If you stop by our office or attend upcoming programs you’ll notice we’ve made some staff changes lately. After eight years at SCLT, Michelle Walker has moved on to pursue a career in the theater (where she’s drawing great reviews!). Agnieszka Rosner came on board January 1 as our new development and administrative coordinator. Also, last year’s City Farm Apprentice, Craig Demi, became a part-time special projects coordinator in November.
New garden lets West African elders grow familiar food
Usually it takes somewhere between several months to a year or more for a new garden or urban farm to go from the idea stage to completion (with design and planning, funding, installation and planting in between). So, when a garden for the nonprofit Higher Ground International was built within two months of being proposed, some of its clients called it a miracle.
Nonprofit awarded nearly $600k to help beginning farmers
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)—A nonprofit in Providence has been awarded nearly $600,000 in federal funding to help expand training opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers throughout Rhode Island.
Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood welcomes new urban farm
A new urban farm in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood opens today. It’s the fifth urban farm created by the nonprofit Southside Community Land Trust.
The land trust has a network of 51 urban farms and community gardens. Executive Director Margaret DeVos explains that Providence needs these spaces because several of the city’s neighborhoods lack grocery stores. That means residents have limited access to produce at most of their local convenience stores.
