Working farms and small commercial fishing fleets populate Tiverton and its neighboring communities, continuing the traditions of New England in a bucolic setting along the southern New England coast. This special area of southern Rhode Island is dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of open green spaces and rocky shorelines that best define New England's heritage.

Farming

AgriTourism is an effort to help farmers make their farms more profitable by offering a variety of activities in addition to cultivation. Some farms operate education centers, B&Bs, gift shops and serve as unique venues for special events, in addition to growing and selling their produce.

Rhode Island has 858 small working family farms, with most between 10 and 179 acres. There are 11 farms with more than 500 acres. Total state acreage is 61,000. RI farms sell directly to consumers with an average of $21,000 in direct sales, ranking them second in the country for direct sales. Dairy farms and produce farms are included. There are 18 dairy farms in Rhode Island.

There are 34 Rhode Island Certified Organic and Certified Transitional Organic Farms listed on the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) list of agriculture sites.

Farmers everywhere are challenged by water use, land use or land protection, taxes, technology, insurance costs, weather and product pricing issues.

Most of the farmlands in Tiverton and nearby Little Compton are owned and operated by a band of cousins - Peckham, Walker and Young. They grow a variety of produce, such as tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, apples, strawberries, pumpkins, herbs and flowers. They do not raise animals.

Farming communities are always in sync with nature. The fields awaken in early spring as farmers begin tilling and planting. May and June welcome an abundance of wildflowers in an array of pastel and jewel tones. The growing season starts in mid-June, and culminates with the bountiful harvest from August through October.

This busy time of year ends with a crescendo of brilliant red, orange, and yellow colors as New England's most treasured season unfolds before the frost arrives and the fields lie dormant in winter slumber.

Books of Interest Relevant to our Farming & Fishing Community

"Here and Nowhere Else: Late Seasons of a Farm and Its Family" by Jane Brox	"The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land" by Norman Wirzba, Barbara Kingsolver	"This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm" by Scott Chaskey	"Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life" by Bill McKibben
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"Civic Agriculture: Reconnecting Farm, Food, and Community" (Civil Society Series) by Thomas A. Lyson	"Problems of Plenty: The American Farmer in the Twentieth Century" (The American Ways Series) by R. Douglas Hurt
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