A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held August 2 to officially launch the new partnership between the City of Trenton and the Mercer County Park Commission to operate Capital City Farm in Trenton’s North Ward. The property at 301 North Clinton Avenue was acquired in 2014 by the City of Trenton, using open space funding provided by Mercer County and soon thereafter was cleaned up and improved for farming. Attendees of the ribbon cutting included Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Jay Watson, a senior director at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and a catalyst for the farm’s creation, City of Trenton officials, representatives from the Garden State Agrihood Project and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and many other partners and friends of the project.
Today, under a recently executed agreement whereby the City will maintain ownership of the property and the Park Commission will staff and manage the farm, Capital City Farm grows healthy food, much of which is donated to the adjacent Trenton Area Soup Kitchen; offers learning and employment opportunities to Trenton residents; and maintains an open and green landscape to the surrounding neighborhood.
The Outdoor Equity Alliance, which began as a project of FoHVOS, has a mission of creating “experiences and opportunities that attract and inspire people of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels to enjoy nature and the outdoors.” It has gathered a broad range of public, private and nonprofit organizational partners, including the Capital City Farm.
OEA’s Coordinator, Hopewell Township resident Renata Barnes, said she was happy to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Being a part of the Capital City Farm family is on point with the mission of the OEA,” Barnes explained. “This is not a ‘One-and-Done’ project. It is an investment WITH the Trenton community – a commitment on all sides that benefits every person, every community. This garden, this farm is for the people in this neighborhood to sow in and reap from.
