Annual plant sale seeds farm Westbay produce

Get your vegetable garden going and support a good cause this week at the annual plant sale held at Westbay Community Action’s farm on Centerville Road in Warwick. The sale will be held from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, May 25, at the farm which is located at 1351 Centerville Road in Warwick.

The plants were seeded at the three-plus acre, all-natural Westbay Farm, originally Barton Farm until purchased as open space by the City of Warwick,  is an oasis of green space on heavily traveled Centerville Road. Driving west on Centerville, the farm is to your right before crossing into West Warwick. Each year, the hillside farm produces a robust harvest that allows Westbay Community Action to offer fresh, local vegetables to its food pantry clients and the public.

“The annual plant sale is important because it directly supports the operation of the farm,” said Julie Dixon, Program Director of Congregate Meals and Volunteer Services at Westbay Community Action. “It takes a lot of work and an army of volunteers to make this happen.”

According to the pre-sale website, this year there will be herbs, flowers, and starter vegetable plants with prices averaging $4 to $5.  The herbs include basil, oregano, parsley, lemon balm, and bronze fennel. The vegetable plants include tomatoes, kale and tomatillos.

The farm’s fields produce about 20,000 pounds of vegetables each year. Its crops include lettuce, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and squash. “Someone can be in our food pantry and pick up a tomato that was harvested that morning,” Dixon said. “It doesn’t get any fresher than that.”

In addition to providing healthy choices for food pantry clients, the farm-fresh produce is also available to the public at the farm and at a seasonal farmer’s market held every Thursday at the Thundermist Health Center of West Warwick. Located at 186 Providence Street in West Warwick, the Thundermist market is open from 3 to 6 pm, from July 10 through Oct. 16, 2024. The produce stand at the farm is also open on Thursdays from 3 to 6 pm, and operates from June 27 to Oct. 3 this year.

Dixon said the farm is a great example of community collaboration. Located on the site of the former Barton dairy farm, it is owned by the City of Warwick and leased to Westbay Community Action.

Farm Manager Steve Stycos can be found there most days, nurturing seedlings, clearing vegetable plots, picking produce, and directing volunteers. Dixon said that volunteers are always needed at the farm, whether they are a seasoned gardener or just someone who would like to get outside and doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. Anyone is welcome to apply she said, noting that the farm even has assistance from local goats who do their part by munching on weeds and other invasive plants – including poison ivy.