Bridgeport's Reservoir Community Farm expanding due to state grants
Once completed, the garden will have more than 50 new raised beds, flower gardens and an improved entryway. It will also be used as a shared space with local for-profit farmers and a host site for the Uconn urban farmer training course.
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Northern Bridgeport's only community garden is offering new opportunities as it reopens for the season.
The Reservoir Community Farm, located on Reservoir Avenue, has been an educational farm for over a decade.
"Our mission is to grow food, to fight against inequality, to promote food access and food justice," says Diego Osses.
Due to financial difficulties last year, the farm had to close much of its operations.
However, Green Village Initiative, which runs the farm, recently received two grants from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture that will allow the farm to not only stay open, but also expand.
Construction began this week.
Once completed, the garden will have more than 50 new raised beds, flower gardens and an improved entryway. It will also be used as a shared space with local for-profit farmers and a host site for the Uconn urban farmer training course.
The improvements will allow the space to become a place for people to connect with nature.
"The children don't have access to open areas where they can go and run and learn about nature. People come here and start working and tending the crops, or just sitting and looking at the butterflies, it's good enough for us," says Osses.
Staff members say the additions will help create a major lifeline for the farm, which had to scale back its programming to due to financial hardship from the pandemic. They are also aiming to continue their mission of making organic food easily accessible in Bridgeport.
"I think that the future is to start growing and focusing on those efforts in urban areas. We have a lot of empty spaces. This is the only point that the neighbors have access to purchase fresh food. Providing food to pantries and the school system is also helpful to fight against this inequity," says Osses.
Green Village Initiative has open volunteer hours every Friday and Saturday.
The farmer's market will return in the summer.
