Farm Fresh Rhode Island blog

It’s a clear and sunny day in mid-July, and John Harkins of Heritage Farm is teaching half a dozen high schoolers how to use a hoe. Others are nearby weeding long rows of ever-lasting strawberries, delighting in the taste of the ripe juicy berries as they pull up various grasses between the rows. The students are part of the Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) Sustainable Development course, a two-week long summer course for 30 high school students from around the U.S. and the world. The field trip to Heritage Farm, an ecological farm in Portsmouth, is part of their unit on Sustainable Agriculture. For this unit, BELL teamed up with Farm Fresh RI to teach students about environmental and social issues unaddressed by the mainstream food system, and about how alternative models such as organic farming and locally produced foods can benefit the health of our land, economies, and communities.

Heritage Farm is an ideal site for students to explore sustainable agriculture. From seed saving, raising heritage animal breeds, and promoting regenerative ecosystems, this farm is integrating ecological concepts into its everyday farm operation. As he takes students on a tour of his 50-acre farm, John’s enthusiasm and commitment to principals of biodiveristy and conservation is clear. He talks to students about water conservation, biodiversity, soil erosion, and nitrogen fixers. Harkins points out over a dozen different types of vegetables in the one-acre biointensive market garden that sits in the middle of the farm. As we stop by the his mobile chicken and duck coops, he passes around the blue and brown eggs that are sold at farmers markets in Providence, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton.

For many students this is their first visit to a working farm. For others, it’s a reminder of their own backyard gardens. For all, the issues that Harkins brings up, such as water, energy, and conservation, relate to the way we experience our world and our quality of life. These themes are also core concepts students have been discussing during the course. The farm trip provides an opportunity for students to see sustainability in action, and learn about the real life challenges and successes of such an operation. It’s also a lesson in the power of food and agriculture as a teaching tool, and the opportunity to engage young people in meaningful change.