down bottom farms
Down Bottom Farms is the newest and largest addition to Ironbound Community Corporation’s Urban Agriculture Program. Located on a half acre of land at the corner of Ferry and St. Charles Streets, the farm boasts a 30 ft. x 72 ft. hoop house; a fruit tree orchard consisting of apple, pear and peach trees; blueberry and strawberry patches; a growing urban vineyard; and murals and community art pieces.
After an extensive neighborhood planning process, ICC developed a lease agreement with the City of Newark and the New Jersey School Development Authority and the site has evolved from an abandoned and contaminated freight rail yard into a community asset through the collaborative efforts of ICC staff; community members; volunteers and job training participants; and partner organizations, like NJ Tree Foundation and Rutgers University’s Water Resource Group.
Future plans for expansion of Down Bottom Farms and Urban Agriculture programming include the addition of a “Learning Barn” to facilitate educational programming year-round, as well as “Child’s Play”, an experiential garden area geared toward helping children ages 2-6 explore the wonders of gardening and farming through play.
Every Saturday from mid-May through the end of October, Down Bottom Farms hosts a Farmer’s Market featuring Jersey Fresh produce from farms throughout Newark, New Jersey, and beyond.
From June through October, the farmer’s market is open every Tuesday from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM and is proud to accept EBT, SNAP, WIC, Senior Vouchers, Visa, Mastercard and cash.
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