Our 86th @realfarmercare recipient is Daniel Penengo of Barrington Farm School @btownfarmschool in Barrington, Rhode Island.
Danny writes, “In 2018, the last remaining farm in town escaped development when Barrington Farm School was born to serve as an educational classroom for the community. Since then, volunteers have converted the conventional 3 acres into a suburban farming oasis practicing organic and slow tool methods. As a farmer-educator, I apply my 20 years of experience in outdoor education and the humanities to foster a deep love for all aspects of the environment. The farm educates from seed to harvest in fruit, vegetable, and flower production. As a food scrap collection site for neighbors and local schools, BFS collects 20 tons of food scrap per year. This composting and vermiculture operation serves as the foundation of the farm’s pedagogy. The continued restoration of woodland and native habitats, paired with the addition of hedgerows, will play an integral role in future educational and master planning initiatives. Relying heavily on student volunteers, COVID-19 has all but stopped educational opportunities on the farm. A skeleton crew has been carrying the slack of growing and preparing seedlings and soil, valiantly, while also fielding an influx of calls and inquiries from the community with so many folks looking to expand or begin home gardens. Providing video instruction, seeds, starter plants, and compost have had to suffice. To that end, our mission to educate continues as we look toward phasing the community back onto the property and into the fields they’ve grown accustomed. In these times, we all truly have to think like farmers.” . #realfarmercare #barringtonfarmschool #farmingeducation #communitycare
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