Every Neighborhood Needs a Farm

Can publicly owned farmland be a catalyst for improving suburban community health & vigor?Suburban Farmland Permaculture Reuse

AppleSeed Permaculture and Milone & MacBroom, Inc. are collaborating on a project with the town of Hamden Connecticut to envision the potentials for reuse of a former farm. This project is funded by a grant from the state Department of Agriculture. Agriculture has deep roots in Hamden, with orchards in this location appearing on maps since 1852. The former Maselli Farm remained in agricultural use even as neighboring farmland was rapidly developed into suburban communities. Now this 33-acre tract of land is one of the last remaining open spaces in the community.

Residents in the neighborhoods adjoining Maselli Farm have tenaciously pursued maintaining this land as open space. A community meeting drew a large crowd eager to offer their ideas about what Maselli Farm should become. Most people advocated for either a public open space, a working farm, or a blend of the two. Our role is now to reconcile the most popular ideas into a plan that makes sense socially, ecologically, and financially.

Maintaining open space and farmland in our towns and cities provides many benefits. Recreational opportunities positively impact people’s emotional and physical health, while contact with trees and living systems has a profound impact on mental well-being. Children who spend more time in “green” settings have reduced symptoms of ADHD and higher test scores. The living systems provide numerous “ecosystem services” such as cleaning the air, infiltrating water and reducing runoff, cooling the community, and bolstering local biodiversity. The land base can also be utilized to grow food and other products to be consumed locally in a way that builds local economic resiliency and improves food security.

In this design, a forested buffer around the edges of the site offers wildlife habitat and other ecosystem services while also creating a buffer for the surrounding neighborhoods. A swath through the center of the site becomes a native grass and wildflower meadow, providing ecological diversity and granting visitors impressive views across the site and into the distance. A large area is dedicated to agricultural activities, while other areas host community gardens, a gathering pavilion, and spaces of outdoor learning. The historic barn is renovated and serves as an anchor for cultural activities and a window into Hamden’s history. A trail system connects neighborhoods through the site and allows users to experience the diversity of ecosystems, terrain, and uses that the site has to offer.

Maselli_Design_Phase3_151120

Wouldn’t your neighborhood benefit from a productive community green space? We believe that every neighborhood needs a farm. Contact AppleSeed Permaculture if you want to support making a project like this happen in your town.

Why Edible Landscaping? Top 30 Plants

Would you like to turn your lawn or garden into an abundant edible oasis? The following slideshow will offer you the basic reasoning, medications principles, pharmacy and plants to transform your home or workplace. AppleSeed Permaculture is also available for consulting so that you can choose the appropriate plants and plant communities for your particular site.

Ethan Roland of AppleSeed Permaculture presented this slideshow in September 2010 for two incredible organizations: The Kismet Rock Foundation in North Conway, NH and The Alchemy Juice Bar & Mama-lution in West Hartford CT. Both organizations are doing excellent social and ecological world-change work, and we highly recommended that you support their projects… Continue reading