Aw, Shucks! A Corny Tradition at DeCastro Farms

The second generation of DeCastros – Stephen, Tom and Rich – are carrying on the tradition their parents – Winfield and Ruth – began when they opened their farm stand in 1961 to sell the veggies they grew on seven acres in Portsmouth.

Nowadays Stephen's wife, Patti, plus Tom run the stand; Stephen and Rich and Rich's son Matthew oversee the farm operations, growing and harvesting over 100 acres of food.

DeCastro Farms has become locally famous for their daily picked sweet corn, along with string beans, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, cucumbers and other veggies. In addition, the DeCastros buy peaches, apples, plums and other fruits from Rhode Island orchards, getting them twice a week when they're in season. They also support other Rhode Island food producers by carrying local meats, milk, cheese, salsa, honey and peanut butter at the store.

"Our goal is to offer as much 'local' as we can, from Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts," Patti DeCastro says. DeCastro's also does a brisk business in flowers and nursery plants from their many greenhouses.