CUMBERLAND – Franklin Farm is all about feeding Rhode Islanders in need, but it’s also a place where people can grow their own food in an ideal environment.
Allie Ambrose, allotment garden coordinator at the farm at 142 Abbott Run Valley Road, said they have a record 77 gardeners this season, each with a plot measuring 20 feet by 3 feet.
Gardeners can grow just about anything they choose (with some common-sense exceptions), said Ambrose, who works her regular job as a teacher at North Providence High School. Many choose to take part because it’s such an “amazing place to grow vegetables,” she said. The soil is right, the sunlight is right, and plants get watered for gardeners when they’re not here. The farm also provides fish emulsion fertilizer, uses no chemicals, and there are nearby beehives to help pollinate everything, she said.
The only drawback they have to worry about is the nearby woodchuck or two that like to partake in veggies, said Ambrose, laughing, but food is so plentiful here that it doesn’t tend to have a big impact on the harvest.
The cost for a plot is $100 for the season, but if a gardener volunteers for eight hours in Franklin Farm’s community garden, said Ambrose, they get $40 back at the end of the season.
“So it really only costs you $60 to grow an abundance of vegetables,” she said.
The ever-expanding allotment garden has a waiting list and people can fill out an application form on this page to be added to the list.
The allotment garden at Franklin Farm was established in 2014 to provide a place for people in the community to grow their own organic vegetables.
“Bringing local folks together in a shared, outdoor activity has expanded Franklin Farm’s reach and contribution to our community,” states the farm’s website.
The season runs from May 16 to Sept. 19, and all plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis with preference given to those who had plots the previous year.
All plots are prepared by volunteers to be ready for allotment members to plant on May 16. Preparation includes tilling, irrigation system, and weed barrier.
“During the growing season your plants will be automatically watered and fertilized with a fish emulsion,” states the farm. “Composting is available on site.”
