How We Are Organized

The Shewatuck Farm property is owned by the Rhode Island Farm Incubator 501c3.

The organization was developed and formed in late 2017 by a group of six Founding Partners.

In considering the property acquisition, the Partners understood the Farm’s site was Narragansett Indian land prior to English settlement. As part of our structuring, we saw a responsibility to both the land and its native users. We therefore both named the farm for the historical Narragansett name for the area (Shewatuck) as well as have held the property in a public, charitable trust.

The 501c3 is structured with 1) a farm team responsible for the day to day operations of the Farm, 2) an administrative team responsible for operations and financial management, and 3) an educational team responsible for agricultural, ecological, and economic education. We anticipate an expansion to include a rural development fund and an additional team responsible for those activities.

The original Founding Partners have been expanded to include advisors, entrepreneurial partners, collaborating farms, and part-time colleagues.

Founding Partners

Jesse Coker

David DeFrancesco

Peter Gengler

Richard Pace

Christian Roberge

Jasmine Tanguay

Advisors

Jean-Paul Courtens, Farm Practice

Jon Chambers, Architect

Kevin Campion, Landscape

Dr. Sheila Frodermann, Naturopath

Jo Anna Cassino, Herbalist and Shewatuck Fellow

Collaborators

USDA Rural Development

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service