Harvesting Knowledge from Farming's Past, Present and Future

Did you know that one of the town's first corn-grinding windmills once stood at the very spot of the wind turbine generator today? Or, that Bristol Ferry Road was once a major transportation center where the ferry, railroad and trolleys all met?

Kenneth Ayers, chief of the Department of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing, and local historian, educator and author James E. Garman presented a lecture on the history of farming this past Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. About two dozen guests attended the event.

The lecture, entitled "Agriculture on Aquidneck Island: Past, Present and Future," was the last in a series of Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) conservation lectures. 

According to the ALT, local farms are important to residents' well-being. Island farms provide fresh foods. They help limit the amount of infrastructure demands placed on our municipalities by residential subdivisions.

"The Aquidneck Land Trust believes that agriculture is vital to our way of life on Aquidneck Island," said ALT Executive Director Edward Sortwell Clement Jr.

The lecture began with a slideshow from Garman, who spoke about Aquidneck Island's history of farming from 1638 through World War II. Ayers spoke about farming on the island after World War II.

Garman spoke about Anne Hutchinson, John Clarke, William Coddington and the Quakers who followed these first settlers.

"Most (of the early settlers) had been banished from Boston," Garman said. "They lived in a great deal of fear...

"Governor Bradford didn't like Anne Hutchinson at all," Garman continued. "There was once an earthquake in the area. Governor Bradford said that it was Anne Hutchinson's fault."

The audience laughed at Garman's last remark.

The local historian continued, talking about Coddington who moved further south to Newport where there was a natural harbor.

"They viewed agriculture as a means for making money," he said.

Garman also spoke about the rise in transportation, including the growth of the railroad and trolleys, the slave trade, British occupation and the rise of "Gentlemen Farms."

"The (British) occupation was not very—how should I put this—theraputic," he said. "Prudence Island had a huge amount of livestock at this time because people took their livestock there to hide. Town records were lost during this time. 

"... Newport never really recovered from the British occupation. Just think, if Newport remained a major commercial port throughout the war, we could have become like Manhattan."

According to Garman, in 1885, there were 97 farms in Newport, 192 in Middletown and 270 in Portsmouth. By 1885, the population on Aquidneck Island was more than 28,000, of which 4,300 were farmers.

The ALT's next event will be a tour of Anthony Farm, ALT's first conserved property in Portsmouth, on Saturday, Sept. 25.

This farm, which is home to many of the ponies that appear in the weekly polo tournaments held at the Glen, is using best practices to minimize runoff and to protect this landscape for the generations to come.

Polo, which has been played since the 5th century BC, depends on the speed, stamina and agility of the ponies. The tour will feature a demonstration of the training and breeding techniques used to develop these remarkable animals.

This free tour will be led by Dan Keating, the farm's manager and the founder of the Newport International Polo Series.

Attendants will meet at 9 a.m. at 2505 East Main Road in Portsmouth. Space is limited. For more information or to attend, contact Courtney Huth at chuth@ailt.org or 401-849-2799, ext. 19.

ALT was founded in 1990 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by a dedicated group of local residents to save the natural character, environmental health, and economic value of Aquidneck Island. Today, ALT is overseen by more than 20 Trustees and guided by over 20 additional Advisory Board members, providing expertise in disciplines such as law, agriculture, finance, real estate, environmental protection, business and land conservation.

For more information about the ALT, visit their Web site here.