idealist.org

The mission of Southside Community Land Trust is to provide access to land, education and other resources necessary for people in the Greater Providence area to grow food in environmentally sustainable ways as a means to creating a food system where locally produced, affordable and nutritious food is available to all.


Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT), located on the southside of Providence, Rhode Island, started in 1981 with the conversion of a 3/4 acre vacant lot into a community garden. Today, this community garden is the certified organic City Farm.
 
In the last 25 years SCLT has reclaimed approximately 5 acres of once blighted vacant lots and turned them into a network of community gardens in Providence's Southside and West End neighborhoods; grown, donated and sold hundreds of pounds of organic produce at City Farm; helped 6 area schools start their own school gardens; hosted hundreds of city youths in City Farm's children's Garden; educated volunteers about the urban environment, access to food and our love of soil; expanded to farm on 50 preserved acres in the neighboring city of Cranston (Urban Edge Farm); assisted in the start-up of 7 new minority-owned farm businesses; established the Broad Street Farmer's Market, currently the only farmer's market in the state that accepts EBT/Food Stamps; started a Community Supported Agriculture project; and more...