Farmer D at work.
Farmer D and his circle introduced 60 raised beds.
On a sunny Friday afternoon, Farmer D and Nadine Horton gathered at Big Starr Garden in Newhallville to weed around elderberry, blueberry, and other potted perennials. They also demonstrated their sustained commitment to keeping New Haven green — even amid Gather New Haven’s recent rupture with many of its community gardens.
Dishaun Harris, aka Farmer D, and Horton respectively manage the Big Starr Garden on Starr Street between Shelton and Newhall in Newhallville, and the Goffe Street Armory Garden on County Street in the Beaver Hills neighborhood, among other sites.
Those used to be under the umbrella of the local environmental nonprofit Gather New Haven. Thanks to ongoing financial woes, Gather — which emerged from the organizational marriage six years ago of New Haven Farms and the New Haven Land Trust — has newly handed over to city government 19 of its local gardens and micro-farms. According to its interim leadership, Gather will continue to care for just three gardens on properties it owns outright and will continue to run the Schooner sailing camp this summer.
