Grist for the Mill: Summer 2023

Dear Reader,

Summer has arrived at last! It’s a season brimming with bounty from our local farms, when farm stands open and outdoor farmers markets proliferate like zucchinis in August. Farmers are busy growing and harvesting; hens are laying, tomatoes are ripening and the sweet corn will be here before you know it.

How wonderful it is to live in a state where, in the summertime, we all live within 10 minutes of a farm stand or farmers market. Our local farmers play a big role in our quality of life here in Rhode Island, frequently in ways we might not even recognize.

One of my favorite authors is farmer, philosopher, writer and poet Wendell Berry who said it best in his book Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food (Counterpoint, 2009):

“Good farmers, who take seriously their duties as stewards of Creation and of their land’s inheritors, contribute to the welfare of society in more ways than society usually acknowledges, or even knows. These farmers produce valuable goods, of course; but they also conserve soil, they conserve water, they conserve wildlife, they conserve open space, they conserve scenery.”

In this issue, we spend some time down on the farm visiting with several local farmers and talking with them about their goals, challenges and what draws them to their work. In our cover story, you’ll meet farming couple Pat and Kelly McNiff. They may be familiar faces to you, but you may not know that their story is emblematic of the struggle facing many Rhode Island farmers. They shared their journey with Edible Rhody to help us all better understand the hidden pressures and challenges for local farmers, and why advocating for farmland preservation is so important in the state with the highest cost for farmland in the country.

A collaborative approach to farming is being tested out at Shewatuck Farm in North Kingstown, where farm Fellows grow food while they learn the business aspects of farming and navigate the bumpy road to profitability. Farm Fellows are learning regenerative farming practices and land stewardship on this 91-acre parcel and together sell their products at a weekly on-site farm market. Read the story here.

Land stewardship is at the heart of Ashawaug Farm where Indigenous farmers Dawn and Cassius Spears are using traditional planting methods fused with modern techniques to grow foods, including Narragansett Flint Corn and the Three Sisters plants (sweet corn, beans and squash). The couple’s vision for their farm includes bringing back traditional corn harvest celebrations of the Narragansett/Niantic people. Meet the Spearses here and be sure to swing by their farmstand during summer’s high harvest season to try the wide variety of tomatoes they grow.

There’s much more for you in this issue, including a story profiling several chefs and their different approaches to purchasing from local farms. We’ve also got tempting summer recipes and tasty cocktails for summer party time (or anytime!).

As we dive into summer and all its abundant flavors, don’t forget our full seasonal recipe archive and more of what makes Li’l Rhody so delicious.