Fairgate Farm - Stamford, CT
Fairgate is a small urban farm located on the west side of Stamford, CT that has successfully operated 10 growing seasons, largely in part due to their loyal volunteers and awesome staff. Their farm operates a farmers market, educational classes, and a compositing service.
Fairgate’s initiative is unlike any other in Fairfield county. While there are several amazing food pantries, farmers markets, and services that are working to tackle food insecurity and provide access to nutritious food, Fairgate’s hands-on approach brings a different appeal to a small city like Stamford, CT where it’s easy to lose touch with the reality of where our food comes from. The convenience of going to the KFC down the street takes precedence over the time it takes to plant and harvest a few hot peppers to make our own hot sauce. This is the inescapable reality of living in an ever growing city. What I love about Fairgate is that it is planting itself in its community to manifest a relationship between the people and the land. It’s repurposing land and proving that we can directly nourish our communities, even in metropolitan areas. The mere action of driving or walking by their gates will spark curiosity in anyone. Whether they get involved or simply think about what could be growing there, it is a step in the right direction.
I had the opportunity to volunteer with Fairgate this summer, and that morning I was assigned to the harvesting of peppers; jalapeños, bell, poblano, among others. What many may find as a tedious task, I found to be extremely grounding. An experience that reminded me to be thankful for the hands of those who do this kind of work at a much larger scale, in an unbearable climate, for an extended period of time. Gathering these vibrant peppers opened my eyes to the beauty in nature. It made me think about works of art and how they are so highly valued as to be preserved and protected to avoid deterioration. Shouldn’t we do the same with our environment that provides us with food and sustenance?
In a conversation with farmer Pete Novajosky, he emphasized his excitement in bringing food and farming to where the majority of people are. At Fairgate, Pete uses good practices like crop rotation, integrated pest management, and very minimal spraying which mostly consists of natural oils that are safe. He believes you have to “Get as much as you can out of the ground without putting anything harmful into it.” When I asked Pete how we can encourage people, especially children, to eat more whole foods, he said “we must let them get interactive with it, in the garden and in the kitchen, this way they discover it for themselves instead of forcing it on them.”
Fairgate Farm is currently working on building a climate-controlled greenhouse that will allow them to grow crops all year round, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for their future!
All it takes is one intention, one person, one action, that eventually radiates and multiplies. Patience is necessary and we must appreciate the journey.