“Serendipity was that it was the spring
and they had no plants in this big garden,”
Brandon says. “So they said, ‘Sure you
can just come use this garden.’ I remember
how kind and trusting they were.”
The Sampsons’ children currently have
no intention of farming, so Brandon
signed a five-year lease to use the land as
Brandon Family Farm. He and the team
now grow forty different kinds of seasonal
certified organic vegetables, fruit,
pepitas and hemp on thirty acres.
Brandon was lucky to find the right
landlords; perfect soil for growing was
also a gift, he says. In addition to farming,
he studied soil science at the University
of Rhode Island and started a consulting
business for soil evaluations for new
growers and established farmers thinking
about leasing new land. In order for
farms to continue to thrive, he says farmers
need access to fertile ground. “We
have to go out and find the idle lands that
have good soil, talk to the landlords, and
encourage them to use these economically
productive soils for growing,” he says.
Brandon is also savvy when it comes
to selling. He recently set up his website
for online ordering during the pandemic,
so he can pack pre-orders and avoid handling
cash. Business has picked up for
him; out of a dire situation, more people
are shopping local for produce. One look
at his impeccable greens, vivid red radishes
and squash and it’s clear that this is
the ideal way to go food shopping. “Sales
are strong, and there’s a lot of demand for
local food right now,” Brandon says. “More
demand than supply, that’s for sure. Sales
are better than ever.”
It turns out, gardening is a pretty good
thing to do with the rest of his life.
Pick up pre-orders from the Brandon
Family Farm website at the farm on
Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m.
Produce is also available through the
WhatsGood app for home delivery. In
addition, Brandon Family Farm is selling
produce at the South Kingstown Farmers
Market every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. at 25 West Independence Way
in Kingston.
592 Fairgrounds Rd., West Kingston,
brandonfamilyfarm.com
S U M M E R T I M E I S
C A T
C O U N T R Y
T I M E !
Go to RIMonthly.com/FutureofFarming
to read two more farming profiles on
Katie Steere of Deep Roots Farm and the
Narragansett Tribe. �
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2020 117