Capital City Farm is Trenton’s first commercial urban farm, created under the leadership of D&R Greenway Land Trust in partnership with an advisory group of seven Trenton-based organizations. The preservation of two blighted acres next to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) was negotiated by D&R Greenway and funded by Mercer County’s Open Space Fund. This land, now owned by the City of Trenton and managed as a farm by D&R Greenway, provides local jobs and locally-raised fresh produce in an area of Trenton that lacks access to healthy food options.
The farm team includes a farm manager, local farm staff from the community and volunteers who assist the growing of fruits, flowers and vegetables. With its first year of production in 2016, Capital City Farm has been recognized for its innovative approach to urban agriculture with the 2016 New Jersey Future ‘Smart Growth Award’ and the 2017 ‘Community Impact Award’ from the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority.
The mission of Capital City Farm is to grow local, fresh, healthy foods and make them available to the Trenton community, and to engage the community through direct participation. CCF grows more than 37 varieties of fruits and vegetables annually yielding more than 1,000 lbs. of produce including varieties of cultural interest such as Callaloo, which is a leafy green used in Caribbean dishes. Produce and flowers are distributed to Trenton stores, TASK, schools, senior centers and hospitals as well as families and individuals in the neighborhood. Future plans include partnering with TASK to provide food-related education in their kitchen.
Before and after photos show that turning a trash-strewn, neglected parcel of land into a colorful, producing farm has transformed this area into an inspirational place for all who live in and pass through this corner of Trenton.
CCF needs volunteers and welcomes corporate work days during the farm season to provide garden maintenance, produce distribution, site improvements, and streetscape improvements.
Please email volunteer@drgreenway.org for volunteer opportunities.
