Food Sovereignty or Food Freedom Gardens demonstrate backyard vegetable and small fruit gardens in cooperation with the Massachusetts State Grange. These gardens demonstrate efforts in food security featuring innovative ways to grow vegetables and small fruit in the home setting and in other ways. Most vegetables being annual crops are established each spring. The area is cleared of previous year’s materials such as stacks and crop residues and with the help of students the area is prepared early in spring to plant cool season vegetables such as peas. Other vegetables may be planted under row covers to protect from cool or freezing conditions. Alternative methods using various containers, shallow pool gravel gardens, and 4x4ft table level growing areas are also demonstrated. The table level areas now positioned at the food garden are in response to suggestions from the Grange members during planning for the Backyard Gardening workshops.

The Small Fruit gardens feature blackberry, blueberry cultivars, several current types, gooseberry, grapes, 3 raspberry types, and Schizandra berry. Part of the small fruit garden can be seen (red mulched areas) in the image above on this web page. Bees in different hive types are also integrated into the food garden.