URI’s Gardner Research Center (Agronomy Farm) has approximately 85 acres of land. Of that about 40 acres are being used to grow forage for the animals at Peckham. (15 in organic production). There’s 25 more acres of fields protected by deer fencing and about 4 acres of unfenced land around the food center. All of these fields are for research and education in vegetable and grain production. About 4 acres are certified organic. There are 8 high tunnels and a heated polyhouse and well as two weather stations, one automated and the other requires daily readings.
The Agronomy Farm is home to URI’s teaching garden, which provides students with hands-on experience growing a wide variety of vegetables. Students work over the summer (typically for credit), growing food that is donated to the URI Free Farmer’s Market, which provides food to students in need.
