Hardwick Community Gardens and orchard offer gardening spaces for those who do not have enough physical room at their homes. The gardens are located at Atkins Field on Granite Street in Hardwick and owned by the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a nonprofit organization. The field is the former site of the Woodbury Granite Company and offers trails, an open air pavilion, an historic 350-foot granite shed, and markers of historic relics. The town of Hardwick maintains a bicycle pump track and skating rink in winter.

The community gardens started in a location closer to the village but too close to the Lamoille River where flooding was an issue each spring. Flooding from Cooper Brook is still an issue at Atkins Field but not as bad. In 2012, the first raised beds were built because of granite remnants all through the ground, which meant it cannot be tilled. The raised beds help protect produce from flood waters at the same time. The number of garden beds was expanded in 2015 and the hoop house put up in memory of Vernon Alper, a community gardener.

The gardens include 64 gardening spots outdoors and inside the community hoop house, built of rough hemlock and cedar. The property is organic so no herbicides are allowed. The community orchard has more than 49 fruit trees and berry bushes, including apples, pears, plums, seaberries, nuts, blueberries and raspberries. Fruit is free for anyone to take a handful.

Gardeners who qualify for the Hardwick Area Food Pantry (300 percent higher than the poverty line) qualify for one free lease on a garden bed per year. Outdoor beds are leased for $25 a year for all others, and indoor beds and bench spots are $15 for the year. Many gardeners lease more than one bed, three outside beds and two inside maximum. High Mowing Organic Seeds donates seeds. In 2022 we started a collective garden project and grew a successful potato patch. Collective gardeners each ended the season with 25 pounds of potatoes. Hayley Williams in the collective garden project coordinator. In 2023 we are expanding to a few other crops.

Bob Duggan is orchard manager. Learn more on our Team page. Garden bed building and repairs and orchard plantings were done in partnership with Hazen Union School as student community service and learning projects.

For more information please contact CAE Community Programs Manager Bethany M. Dunbar at bethany@hardwickagriculture.org.