Wakeman Town Farm Preps for Local, Organic Growing Season

By his own admission, Mike Aitkenhead hadn’t grown as much as a tomato until last year.

All that changed in August when he and his family moved into the historic Wakeman Town Farm property on 134 Cross Highway. Now, the educator knows his brassicas from his legumes and talks with enthusiasm about the merits of raised beds.

"It’s been quite a ride,’’ said Aitkenhead, 31, who teaches environmental science at Staples High School when he’s not digging and planting.

His crash course in small-scale agriculture is just one element of the farm’s progress. Since its $100,000 revamp last spring, the location has been a hub for educational projects, youth gardening clubs and local farm produce pick-ups.

The farm’s supporters say it’s just part of the vision.

The most recent chapter in the farm’s history began with the passing in early 2009 of Pearl Wakeman, the farmer’s wife who had lived on the 2.2 acre Cross Highway property. On her death, the buildings and land went to the town of Westport as part of a decades’ old agreement.

Members of Westport’s Green Village Initiative, a non-profit group focused on sustainable local living, lobbied the town to keep alive the century-old piece of Westport’s rich agricultural heritage.

In late 2009, the town agreed to lease the farm to the GVI for a nominal cost of $1 per year for seven years. Work on the buildings began in January 2010 and the Aitkenhead family – Mike, wife Carrie and toddler Ethan – moved in in August. Days later the fourth member of the family, baby Cora, arrived.

The pace of change at the farm has scarcely slowed since. And as the first full growing season commences, Aitkenhead knows he’s got his work cut out.

This year he has more than 50 varieties of fruit and vegetables planned. A mind-boggling planting and harvesting schedule is pinned to his kitchen door to help remind him of the daily tasks. And then there’s the care of eight chickens - named "Pearl’s Girls" in honor of the late farmer’s wife.

Aitkenhead stresses that he and wife Carrie couldn’t run the farm alone. This year, as last, he’ll have help from a committed crew of green-fingered GVI members, plus college and high-school students.

Gabe Block, a senior at Staples, is one teenager lending a hand. He interned at the farm last summer along with 30 others, planting, weeding, harvesting and helping to build the chicken coop. He took Environmental Science classes in his junior year and spoke in favor of the project at the town hall in 2009.

While he had previously done outdoor projects at home, "the farm is much more meaningful,’’ said Block. "I’m contributing to something.’’

Aitkenhead, an easy-going man, anticipates another 20 or more students will join him as interns during the spring and summer. A small band of middle school gardening enthusiasts will continue converging weekly on the farm too. 

Adults are getting a slice of agricultural education as well. On a chilly morning in mid-March, Aitkenhead put on his first workshop for gardening hopefuls, drawing frankly from his own dizzying learning experience. The weekend sessions will continue through to harvest time in September.

If educational and agricultural projects weren’t enough, the farm also serves as the drop-off point for produce boxes from Stone Gardens Farm in Shelton. Some 150 locals last year participated in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project, under which customers buy a share in the farm’s harvest and get fresh produce throughout the season.

Aitkenhead is hoping to organize an additional harvest-sharing plan with Sport Hill Farm in Easton, providing he signs up enough interested customers. To boot, he is pushing forward the Restaurant Supported Agriculture program, which forms another valuable crutch for local farmers.

The plans don’t end there. The GVI hopes that the town will lease it land of up to another 8 acres surrounding the Cross Highway property. The additional grounds "could potentially make it a production farm,’’ said Aitkenhead. Still, "that’s a couple of years off,’’ he conceded.

For Aitkenhead, the farm’s biggest success to date hasn’t been the crop of fruit and veggies. "It’s been just so great seeing different people from the community all converging on this spot and ideas are flowing and people are interacting,’’ he said. "That’s really what it’s about.’’

Dan Levinson, the driving force behind the GVI, is full of praise for what has been achieved in a short stretch of time.

"The farm is going great,’’ said Levinson. "We are thrilled. The message is: come check us out.’’

To find out more about GVI projects, visit www.gogvi.org. For CSA/RSA related questions, contact Carrie Aitkenhead at caaitkenhead@yahoo.com. For educational programs, projects, or volunteer opportunities, contact Mike Aitkenhead at mjaitkenhead@yahoo.com.