5/6/2020
David Cram, of Cumberland, right, picks up his order of free vegetable seeds at Franklin Farm in Cumberland last Wednesday. Handing off the bag is Debbie Rodin, a volunteer and URI Master Gardener. (Breeze photos by Melanie Thibeault)
Organizers secure $20,000 grant to buy new van
CUMBERLAND – Last Wednesday, Meghan Hall stopped by Franklin Farm to pick up a free order of vegetable seeds to expand her garden at her home in North Attleboro, Mass.
Given the current situation surrounding COVID-19, Hall, a Cumberland native who volunteers at the farm multiple times a year, said the seed distribution is great because it allows her to grow her garden and “minimize trips to the supermarket,” all while teaching her toddler about sustainability and gardening. Organizers of Franklin Farm, 142 Abbott Run Valley Road in Cumberland, have been allowing members of the community to pre-order and pick up packets of vegetable and flower seeds, which were given to them by the University of Rhode Island’s Cooperative Extension.
“We thought it was a terrific way to be able to distribute food seeds to the community,” Pam Thurlow, president of the Historic Metcalf-Franklin Farm Preservation Association, told The Valley Breeze, adding that the distribution fits in with the farm’s mission to help food insecure individuals and families.
Her husband, Chip Thurlow, who serves as the liaison to the food pantries, said he wants to give credit to the URI Cooperative Extension, which had to cancel its events this year due to COVID-19, and to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, which notified him of the availability of the Burpee seed packets, which Ocean State Job Lot donates to the URI program each year.
While they were running low on certain types of seeds last week, they said people can see if they’re still accepting orders by emailing franklinfarm65@gmail.com . When they first acquired the seeds, they notified their mailing list and reached out to church leaders in Cumberland, asking them to tell their parishioners about the opportunity.
“It’s been wildly successful,” Pam said, adding that she would consider doing this as an annual event at the farm. “People have been so grateful.”
As of the middle of last week, they had given away 1,500 seed packets, and she said they were receiving on average 40 to 50 orders a day.
Another benefit from this event is that it might bring in more volunteers. New folks have been reaching out online saying they’d like to volunteer this year, Pam said.
Given the current state of affairs, she said she expects this will be a difficult year food-wise. The seed distribution has been one way to help people who want to grow their own produce.
The farm’s partner, the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry in Cumberland, has been struggling to keep up with demand this spring, according to Chip, who said they’ll “continue as best we can to provide fresh produce” to them.
Helping in that endeavor is a $20,000 COVID-19 Response Fund Grant, which organizers will use to purchase a van-type vehicle that will give them more flexibility when making deliveries, Pam said. The grant is a partnership between the Rhode Island Foundation and United Way of Rhode Island.
Currently, the farm does not have its own designated vehicle, instead relying on volunteers and their schedules and hoping their car can support 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of food, she said.
As for how they’re allowed to navigate the season, she said they’re waiting on word from the state and mayor’s office on how they can proceed, hoping that the number of people who can be in a group will increase by the time they need volunteers.
“Everything is so up in the air,” she said, adding that they’re being flexible, responsible, and hopeful. When hosting pickups she said they followed safety and social distancing protocols including wearing masks and gloves and keeping 6 feet apart.
The only event they’ve had to cancel so far was a cleanup at the end of April.-
Pam Thurlow, president of the Historic Metcalf-Franklin Farm Preservation Association, left, and her husband Chip hold up packets of vegetable and fruit seeds that the farm is giving away free to members of the community.
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May 07, 2020 at 02:09PM
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Franklin Farm gives away free vegetable seeds to community - Valley Breeze
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