They give the land, and the land gives back

For nearly two decades, the Magaziner Community Farm has been providing food for those in need

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 10/9/21

It’s a beautiful October morning on Magaziner Farm, a few turns down a dirt road off Poppasquash in Bristol. A small group of volunteers have already finished the work of picking kale, along …

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They give the land, and the land gives back

For nearly two decades, the Magaziner Community Farm has been providing food for those in need

Posted

It’s a beautiful October morning on Magaziner Farm, a few turns down a dirt road off Poppasquash in Bristol. A small group of volunteers have already finished the work of picking kale, along with parsley, basil, and other herbs, and are portioning and packing the fresh produce for delivery and distribution at the East Bay Food Pantry later this same day.

Magaziner Farm began growing food for the food insecure in 2003, a year after hosting an event for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. One of the attendees asked Suzanne Magaziner if she had ever considered farming the land; she had not, but that conversation lit a spark that soon turned to action.

The story of Magaziner Farm actually began decades earlier with a man named Joe Robinson, a lineman for Narragansett Electric who settled on the property with his wife Louise after suffering a career-ending injury. He farmed the land, and raised cows and chickens, as the price of Poppasquash real estate rose around them. Suzanne and her husband Ira began purchasing the Robinson land piecemeal in the early 1980’s, and Robinson continued to manage it. Eventually they purchased it all, and Robinson, who lived to age 93, lived out his years on the property.

Magaziner knows he would approve of the fact that his beloved farm is still producing.

The bounty of the farm changes as the season progresses, beginning with radishes and lettuces in May, now winding down with hardy greens and herbs. “In another month we will still picking kale but everything else will be done,” said Farm Manager Patricia Lang. In between radishes and kale, the farm has also yielded beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, collards, cucumbers, eggplants, flowers, garlic, gourds, mustards, pears, peaches, peppers, scallions, squash, Swiss chard, and tomatoes.
“We focus on growing things we don’t get from other sources: things like kale, scallions, escarole, herbs, berries,” said Karen Griffith, Executive Director of the East Bay Food Pantry. “People like variety; choice is a big part of our programming. We pick on Wednesday and Friday mornings and people take them home that day. It’s all free of charge to people who are food insecure.”

Like all gardeners have found, it has been a year of too much rain and a vigorous pest population. “It’s been a tough year,” admits Patricia. “The zucchini and summer squash were wonderful until bugs came and decimated the plants.” They don’t spray pesticides or herbicides, so insect control is mostly done manually — a tough task when you are farming an acre with only a handful of volunteers.

“There’s a lot to do,” Lang added. “We are always looking for more volunteers.”

“We do have quite a list of people who volunteer at the beginning of the season, but 10 have the most hours, and now we are down to the faithful 5,” said Griffith. “People have good reasons for dropping off, but…..”

It’s not just volunteers who are needed — Lang will be retiring as Farm Manager at the end of this season, and the EBFP is looking to replace her. It’s a part-time paid position; predictably busiest from April through October. Lang is stepping back but won’t be walking away; she will continue as a volunteer, focusing on the berry patch and herbs, and be available in an advisory capacity.

“It’s always a work in progress, that’s what’s exciting about growing things,” she said.

Serving Newport through East Providence, the East Bay Food Pantry’s programs are all free of charge and focused on healthy foods; about a quarter of the food they hand out is fresh produce. They also offer information and education through several channels, helping their clients make the most of the products they offer.

“It’s a great community of volunteers, who are feeding the community,” Griffith said. Lang agreed. “You really get more than you give, you make friends; and it is just so beautiful to be here.”

Magaziner would like to see it grow. “I’d like to keep this going,” she said. “We have a lot of land we could move into but it’s going to take volunteers.”

“Nobody in the East Bay should be hungry. We have the land, and it’s this wonderful synergistic relationship of community service, fresh air, saving land from development, and feeding people. I’d like to see it expand. But we need volunteers and someone to manage it.”

Anyone interested in volunteering, or applying for the job as Farm Manager, should reach out to Griffith at karen@eastbayfoodpantry.org, or call 401/396-9490

Magaziner Farm, East Bay Food Pantry

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