Rounding a sharp bend in the trail, in an adjacent field owned by St. Paul’s School, from Spring through Fall you’ll notice a very special group of farmers growing food crops and benefit from an abundance of pollinators.

Fresh Start Farms is a project of the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, or ORIS, that focuses on providing farmable spaces for immigrants and refugees living in New Hampshire. Started in 2008, Fresh Start Farms operates in Dunbarton, Boscawen and here on Silk Farm Road in Concord. Over 15 farmers from five different countries farm land here, growing not only peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes, but also culturally significant vegetables like African eggplant, Sowa Sowa and African corn. Staff from Fresh Start Farms provide training and technical assistance to the farmers to help them not only adapt to the New England climate, but also to adopt more sustainable farming practices. 

Thanks to grants from the federal government, many farmers have been able to purchase high tunnels, which are the greenhouse-like structures you see. These are used to lengthen the growing season by providing a protected, warm environment to grow in. Other areas on the farm include a wash and pack station where freshly harvested produce are washed, dried and packed for sale across New Hampshire. Lastly, our land includes a small well to provide fresh, clean water to irrigate and clean with. This land is provided to farmers thanks to a generous partnership with Saint Paul’s School and ORIS programs are made possible by a mix of federal, state and private funding.

Written and read by Tom McGee of ORIS Fresh Start.