Farmers cultivate crops and conversations

Discussions of farming techniques, equipment and crops filled the Dartmouth Grange hall as local farmers, experienced and young alike, came together to enjoy a meal with food primarily grown or raised on their farms.

Held on Friday, Feb. 7, the farmer’s potluck brought together over 30 farmers from Dartmouth and Westport in what is one of their few opportunities to get together before the growing season begins.

“People start getting really busy in the spring, and we didn’t want to wait too long because then everyone kind of disappears into our silos, and then no one sees each other,” said Deanna Lavanti of Westport, explaining it’s difficult to corral people together once farming season gets into full swing.”

“It’s a way to bring the farmers together, just especially in the winter,” said Sue Guiducci, who is a member of the Dartmouth Agricultural Commission.

Guiducci, who helped organize the event with the Westport Agricultural Commission, said the potlucks initially started as a fundraiser in the 1990s and were “kind of a big deal.”

Dartmouth and Westport started hosting the fundraiser and later the potlucks together as a way to keep farmers connected in a shrinking community, Guiducci said.

“When you talk to other growers whether they're farmers or gardeners, it gives you something to relate to each other about,” Lavanti said. “I just think there's a great opportunity for people to connect over growing things.”

And while the potlucks aren’t fundraisers any more, they have a greater purpose than simply enjoying a meal made from homegrown or home raised products.

“This is an opportunity to introduce younger farmers to the older farmers,” Guiducci said, adding she thinks it’s more difficult now for farmers to connect with each other than it was in the 90s.

“It’s a way of keeping people connected,” she added.

Lavanti said she finds the potlucks “great” because she gets to hear everyone talking with each other and “connections are just important.”

“It's important because … farming can be isolating, especially during our busy seasons,” she said, adding that it’s also an opportunity to “fortify your network.”

“It's really important for everyone to have a support system and to be able to communicate with each other in order to ask each other questions and learn about what's happening on a town level,” Lavanti said.

Besides sharing a meal and catching up, the potluck also served as an opportunity to talk about farming-related issues and initiate conversations, such as how to control deer overpopulation outside of the traditional hunting seasons.

The potlucks provide an opportunity to have “conversations with people you maybe wouldn’t have [otherwise],” Lavanti said.