ORIS Develops New Incubator Farm in Concord

The Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success yesterday announced the start of a new incubator farm located in Concord. This new Concord location will welcome seven women refugee farmers who will be growing more than 30 types of vegetables on Lewis Farm in west Concord.

A farm stand will be opening shortly at Morningstar Condominiums on Tuesdays on Loudon Road in order to provide a sales outlet for this new farming venture, providing fresh vegetables grown in Concord to the local community. SNAP/EBT cards will be accepted at the Farm Stand. ORIS will also offer an extra $1 token to purchase fruits and vegetables for every $1 spent in SNAP benefits.

Amisa Zuberi, one of the refugee farmers, said, “It is good to have a farm in Concord because it is closer and that is my only income from farming, and I don’t have any other place to work. This is what I know, I am used to farming in my country. I am very happy to have an opportunity to farm in Concord.”

ORIS currently manages a seven acre incubator farm in Dunbarton, NH which allows for twenty-two refugee farmers to grow forty three types of vegetables, and will now begin developing the second incubator farm location. The growing practices on all ORIS incubator farms encompass a spray-free farming practice in which farmers use integrated pest management with culturally appropriate growing techniques.

This work is made possible via ORIS’s New American Sustainable Project (NASAP) with funding from USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Project. Project Manager Charlene Higgins stated, “Many refugees once resettled face a number of new challenges, such as becoming disconnected from the land and finding meaningful work. This farm provides these women the opportunity to do something familiar and generate income in a way that harnesses their skills and experiences. Their faces lit up with excitement when they learned they could have their own farm stand. Not only does it provide food security to their families, but it makes fresh food affordable and accessible to the local community.”