New Jersey’s claim to being the Garden State is getting some help with the establishment of a “Capital City Farm” in downtown Trenton.
The site is located on the approximately two-acre lot next to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) on Escher Street, part of the Coalport district of Trenton.
The addition to the Trenton landscape started three years ago when Hopewell resident and TASK volunteer Kate Mitnick saw the potential of transforming the derelict lot into a productive and attractive space and brought it the attention of the D&R Greenway.
The Greenway has a record of land preservation and ecological restoration, including a meadow restoration project in Cadwalader Park in Trenton.
“We jumped on the opportunity to preserve the site,” says D&R Greenway Vice President Jay Watson. “We immediately reached out to potential partners, asking if there was interest in joining a preservation effort.”
Current partners include TASK, Escher Street SRO, the prisoner-reentry group Helping Arms, Rescue Mission of Trenton, Isles, City of Trenton, and Mercer County Planning Division.
Watson says that the specific lot belonged to 92-year-old Norma Pratico, a member of the prominent Trenton-area family of lawyers, realtors, and jewelers.
“The property has been vacant for many years. It was part of a railroad siding for Conrail where cars pulled off the main track,” says Watson.
Mercer County provided the $262,500 acquisition funds from the County’s Open Space Program with the City of Trenton obtaining the property in partnership with the D&R Greenway. As part of the agreement, the Pratico family placed $130,000 in escrow toward the required remediation costs, says Watson.
Remediation will be implemented by the D&R Greenway and includes the installation of a one-foot cap over the fill that was historically deposited to elevate the railroad siding to grade level.
D&R Greenway assembled a team, each member contributing unique resources, including funding, land planning, urban gardening, social services, and education.
Coordinators say that the “Capital City Farm” (the current working name for the project) will be more than just a garden plot and envision “a sustainable urban agricultural system including a wildflower meadow to attract pollinating insects, raised beds for seasonal produce, and a small orchard of fruit trees in raised containers. Future phases may include hydroponic greenhouses that will enable a year-round growing season and diversify the farm’s crops. The vision includes chicken coops for egg production and beehives to produce local honey.”
Additional benefits of the project include education, training, and neighborhood beautification. “The open space full of plants will provide a green respite for clients and employees of the neighborhood social service agencies. It can also be connected into the planned regional network of pedestrian trails, through potential linkages to D&R Canal State Park and the Assunpink Creek Greenway,” say organizers.
The project partners will need to raise additional funds to carry out the conceptual plan.
While the City of Trenton will initially own the site, organizers plan on seeing a transition. “We’re still pulling together the operation and thinking of creating a new nonprofit,” says Watson, noting that Isles urban agriculture program manager Jim Simon and managing director Julia Taylor are providing technical expertise.
Watson says that while there are opportunities to improve the aesthetics and life in the area, there are also challenges. “We have to establish ourselves as a presence. Right now it’s an uncontrolled space. There’s not a lot of respect of the property, and we’re going to have to turn into a place where people see it as an asset.”
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