Upon opening the gate to the Farm, West Ward Councilman Ron Rice was instantly moved by what he saw: varieties of peppers (he prefers sweet), rows of corn (“growing in Newark?!”, which is the nearly universal response), lettuce, herbs, a pumpkin patch, and a field of tomatoes. “Wow! And you can do this on rooftops too? How do we bring this to the West Ward?”
One of the most immediately rewarding aspects of the farm, besides seeing the crops grow, is the enthusiasm that the project has infused in our neighbors. Corn growing on Spruce Street has attracted curiosity. People stop by to check out what’s going on. And in the spirit of neighborliness, (or neighborly competition) the guys next door have their backyard sparkling.
Perhaps inspired by our lot’s aesthetic overhaul, the guys at Cura gave their backyard a face-lift. A few days after we started planting, they whacked weeds and mowed their grass. They ask questions and offer advice. One guy was skeptical at first. “I didn’t expect anything to grow at all; what’s in that water you guys use?”
It’s just Newark’s finest.
