Guide to the Southside Community Land Trust records , 1982-2007


Rhode Island State Archives
Rhode Island State Archives
337 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-222-2353
Fax: 401-222-3199
email: statearchives@sos.ri.gov

Published in 2009

Collection Overview

Title: Southside Community Land Trust records
Date range: 1982-2007
Creator: Southside Community Land Trust
Extent: 2.087 cubic feet other
Abstract: The Southside Community Land Trust records contain information on the organization’s efforts to develop community gardens in South Providence and provide educational programming. The collection contains correspondence, legal papers, printed materials, meeting minutes, site plans and financial papers.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Rhode Island State Archives
Collection number: 2009-02

Scope & content

The Southside Community Land Trust records consist of a wide variety of materials relating to the activities of the Southside Community Land Trust. The records consist primarily of meeting minutes, correspondence, publicity materials, newspaper clippings, reports and site plans. Among the many unique items that can be found in this collection are copies of the curriculum and lesson plans used by SCLT staff members to teach workshops in schools and youth organizations throughout Providence on various environmental topics including ecoliteracy. The records represent a valuable resource for those researching the history of the Southside Community Land Trust and community gardening in Rhode Island.

Access Points

Subject Organizations Subject Topics Subject Topics Document Types

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series 1. Activity Reports
  • Series 2. Annual Plant Sale
  • Series 3. Broad Street Farmers’ Market
  • Series 4. Community Development
  • Series 5. Development Committee
  • Series 6. Dudley House
  • Series 7. Dyverville State Park Project
  • Series 8. Rhode Island Flower Show
  • Series 9. 8 Women
  • Series 10. Community Garden
  • Series 11. Board of Directors
  • Series 12. Flyers and Brochures
  • Series 13. Development
  • Series 14. Interns and Volunteers
  • Series 15. Flower Shows
  • Series 16. Publicity
  • Series 17. Schools
  • Series 18. Strategic Plan
  • Series 19. Urban Edge Farm
  • Series 20. Youth Garden

Historical note

Located in South Providence, Rhode Island, Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) is committed to the belief that city dwellers are entitled to a healthy environment. SCLT's community gardens produce food and the opportunity for better nutrition and greater self sufficiency. These gardens provide open and healthy urban space, transform blighted vacant lots, and offer recreation to individuals and to families. SCLT's educational programs work to link critical urban environmental issues, such as lead poisoning, water conservation, open space preservation, and community development, with agriculture. Above all, Southside Community Land Trust exists as a place where members of the community can learn to rediscover their relationship with nature and with each other.

In 1981 the Southside Community Land Trust was created to help the residents of South Providence grow their own food. Debbie Schimberg, the founder and first executive director of SCLT, moved to south Providence after graduating from Brown University. She noticed a lot of abandoned houses and empty lots and worried that residents would eventually be compelled to leave due to gentrification.

At the time, the community was experiencing the first of many immigration waves from Southeast Asia and Central and South America, and many African-American transplants from the southern U.S. had moved to the neighborhood. This diverse group had something in common—many were experienced subsistence farmers who had grown up in a farming culture. "I thought that if we put those two things together—the vacant land and the experienced farmers—it would be a neat way for people to use the land productively," Debbie explains.

Fast forward 25 years. Among its accomplishments, SCLT has turned approximately five acres of formerly vacant lots into community gardens, expanded its farm operation to 50 preserved acres in Cranston, established the Broad Street Farmer's Market, and developed a successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Along the way, SCLT has grown, donated and sold hundreds of pounds of organic produce, helped 15 schools start their own gardens and garden clubs, hosted countless numbers of young people at City Farm's Children's Garden, educated volunteers about urban environmental and local food issues, and assisted in the start-up of seven new minority-owned farm businesses.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: No special restrictions unless otherwise specified.
Use of the materials: Copyright is in the public domain unless otherwise specified. We reserve the right to restrict reproduction of materials due to preservation concerns.
Preferred citation: Southside Community Land Trust records, 2009-02, Rhode Island State Archives.
Contact information: Rhode Island State Archives
Rhode Island State Archives
337 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-222-2353
Fax: 401-222-3199
email: statearchives@sos.ri.gov

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: Gift of the Southside Community Land Trust in January 2009.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Kate Telford.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Kate Telford 2009 March 16
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

Series 1. Activity Reports
Box 1, Folder 1-4

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1-4 Activity Reports
Contents Note: Includes reports and copies of Board of Director meeting minutes.

 1994-2002

Series 2. Annual Plant Sale
Box 1, Folder 4-9

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 4-9 Annual Plant Sale
Contents Note: Includes planning notes, meeting minutes, press releases, mailings, postings, list of plants and list of seeds for sale.

 1994-2000

Series 3. Broad Street Farmers’ Market
Box 1, Folder 10-15

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 10-15 Broad Street Farmers’ Market
Contents Note: Includes market reports, correspondence and budget. Also includes marketing plan, pre-market planning and urban market documents.

 1999-2005

Series 4. Community Development
Box 1, Folder 16-20 and Oversize

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 16-20 and Oversize Community Development
Contents Note: Includes correspondence, preliminary request, activity reports, invoices, budget and subgrantee agreement.

 1995-2002

Series 5. Development Committee
Box 1, Folder 21-22

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 21-22 Development Committee
Contents Note: Includes membership and event mailings, correspondence, committee goals, fund-raising plans, project outlines and financial status report. Also includes information related to the Earth Day grant.

 1989-2003

Series 6. Dudley House
Box 1, Folder 23-24

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 23-24 Dudley House
Contents Note: Includes correspondence, project analysis, cash flow statement and sales agreement, deposit receipt, purchase and sales agreement and appraisal report.

 1996

Series 7. Dyverville State Park Project
Box 1, Folder 25-27 and Oversize

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 25-27 and Oversize Dyverville State Park Project
Contents Note: Includes master plan proposal and master contract. Several site plans that were filed as part of the master plan proposal are stored in Oversize. Also includes Includes meeting minutes, original signed agreement, memos, correspondence, site plans, cooperative agreement, correspondence, impact grant application, request for proposals notice.

 1996-1998

Series 8. Rhode Island Flower Show
Box 1, Folder 28-31, Oversize and Map folder

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 28-31, Oversize and Map folder Rhode Island Flower Show
Contents Note: Includes brochure, Providence Journal Special Section, correspondence, notes, photographs, sketches (Oversize), memos, publicity materials, questionnaire and contact list. Also includes volunteer sign-up sheets, receipts, preparation notes, publicity materials and exhibit sketches (Map folder).

 1996-1998

Series 9. 8 Women
Box 1, Folder 32-41

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 32-41 8 Women
Contents Note: Includes evaluations, records of fishguts project, financial records, Growing Women’s Power Youth Internship recruitment materials, Healthy Soil, Healthy Food proposal narrative, planning materials, press materials, project syllabus and goals.

 2004-2007

Series 10. Community Garden
Box 2, Folder 1-20, Oversize and Map folder

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 1-20, Oversize and Map folder Community Garden
Contents Note: Includes notice of sale, garden info, contract, garden reports, city farm workshops, gardener lists, gardener surveys, greenhouse, properties, photographs of SCLT gardeners, site improvement plan, site plans and water costs.

 1982-2000

Series 11. Board of Directors
Box 2, Folder 21-34

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 21-34 Board of Directors
Contents Note: Includes financial documents, reports, meeting agendas and minutes, reports, memorandums and correspondence.

 1989-2001

Series 12. Flyers and Brochures
Box 2, Folder 35-42

Container Description Date
Box 2, Folder 35-42 Flyers and Brochures
Contents Note: Includes Harvest Festival Flyers translations, newspaper clippings, membership packet samples, member brochure, Urban Agriculture Workshop Series brochure, membership drive flyers and appeal letters.

 1986-2005

Series 13. Development
Box 2/3, Folder 43-46/1-9

Container Description Date
Box 2/3, Folder 43-46/1-9 Development
Contents Note: Includes membership materials, annual appeal, brochure development, Seeds of Imagination, sponsorships, newsletter development, plant sale, garden gala, Potters map and fundraising.

 1989-2006

Series 14. Interns and Volunteers
Box 3, Folder 10-14

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 10-14 Interns and Volunteers
Contents Note: Includes correspondence, internship descriptions, Providence College Service Volunteers Evaluation, satisfaction surveys and work-study plans.

 1993-2003

Series 15. Flower Shows
Box 3, Folder 15-16

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 15-16 Flower Shows
Contents Note: Includes correspondence, schematic floorplan, financial documents, notes and display materials.

 2002-2003

Series 16. Publicity
Box 3, Folder 17-19

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 17-19 Publicity
Contents Note: Includes Providence Arbor Day and Arbor Day Foundation correspondence and press releases, environmental education news articles and workshop information related to the Providence School Department City Farm visit.

 1986-1994

Series 17. Schools
Box 3/4, Folder 20-33/1-18

Container Description Date
Box 3/4, Folder 20-33/1-18 Schools
Contents Note: Includes documents related to SCLT and Providence schools, greenbox, greenlinks and copies of the SCLT newsletter Southside Green.

 1987-2001

Series 18. Strategic Plan
Box 4, Folder 19-25

Container Description Date
Box 4, Folder 19-25 Strategic Plan
Contents Note: Includes meeting agendas, meeting minutes, strategic plan and budget.

 1989-2003

Series 19. Urban Edge Farm
Box 4, Folder 26-30, Oversize and Map folder

Container Description Date
Box 4, Folder 26-30, Oversize and Map folder Urban Edge Farm
Contents Note: Includes land lease, Town of Johnston Zoning Board of Review application, CSA, biodoesel, survey plans and ASTM data sheets, building permit application and zoning board application papers.

 1999-2004

Series 20. Youth Garden
Box 4, Folder 31-36

Container Description Date
Box 4, Folder 31-36 Youth Garden
Contents Note: Includes the ABC's of Youth Club Garden booklet, budget, internship listings, correspondence, youth garden grants, children's garden and Kid's Garden Club materials.

 1987-2002