WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Community gardens are already a part of the landscape at Ratcliffe Park and the Quechee Green, but members of a town committee called Resilient Hartford see an opportunity to grow more food on town-owned land.
The group, in conjunction with the Hartford Parks & Recreation Department, recently sent out a survey to see how people might want to use the town’s parks to grow food to share, either through community gardens or other uses.
“Parks support neighborhoods and promote good health for people of all abilities, ages and socio-economic backgrounds,” the survey said. “They also foster positive change in communities through collaborative programs and uses. Public parks are gateways to a healthier society and ensure that communities are truly livable.”
Resilient Hartford is first focusing on developing alternative uses for Ratcliffe Park, which is on the Connecticut River in White River Junction, and Clifford Park, which sits along the White River in West Hartford.
Kye Cochran, a Hartford resident and member of Resilient Hartford, said one of the reasons for prioritizing these parks is that some recreational activities that previously took place there have moved to the Maxfield Sports Complex. Converting some of the less-used open space to edible plants such as fruit and nut trees would improve the soil and cut down on fossil fuels used to mow the lawns, she said.
“One of the things that we think is very important about Hartford (as a) town becoming more resilient in the face of climate change … is producing more food here,” she said.
The survey is a way to get as many ideas as possible for how the parks might be used, she said.
The survey asks respondents to consider options for the parks, including a community garden, a community food forest, a town orchard and root cellars, as well as areas for concerts, outdoor classes, art displays and quiet contemplation. It lets residents suggest their own ideas as well.
It offers links to information about an edible pocket park in Strafford and the Randolph Community Orchard as examples of what might be possible in Hartford.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased interest in the idea of victory gardens, Hartford Planner Matt Osborn said that Resilient Hartford’s focus on encouraging people to do more backyard gardening predates the pandemic.
“Even before COVID, Resilient Hartford had the idea we should all be a little bit more resilient in having more control of our food production,” he said.
For example, the group held a potato festival last year to mark the end of a townwide potato growing competition, and plans to host the event again next year, he said.
Scott Hausler, Hartford’s director of Parks & Recreation, said he doesn’t expect that edible plantings will replace the town’s playing fields. But, he said, developing a community garden in Clifford Park that is similar to the one in Ratcliffe Park “would be pretty nice for that community out there.”
Beyond that, he said, the town might have other open spaces that could become home to edible plants of some kind.
“I think it’s a good use of public lands,” he said, noting that the food produced could help feed both people and wildlife, and growing it together could give people a way to gather and socialize.
“It’s all good,” he said.
The committee is asking for survey responses from Hartford residents and other community members by Oct. 8. It plans to schedule a meeting via Zoom this fall to discuss ideas for the parks.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
