About the Sea Call Farm Community Garden
Sea Call Farm’s History
Sea Call Farm, located on Tonset Road in Orleans Massachusetts was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2008. The property was actively farmed by William A. and Bertha Fiske from 1931 to 1950 after William’s retirement from railway employment. It was one of many small market-garden farms in Barnstable County, but is now “the only surviving agricultural ensemble in Orleans and one of the few in the Cape Cod region. Its significance is enhanced by the extensive collection of diaries, account books, and other papers that detail life on the farm.”
Our Mission
The mission of the Sea Call Farm gardening community is to provide members with an opportunity to plant and harvest vegetable crops and flowers using only organic practices as part of a communal garden experience where full (20′ x 20′) or half-size plots and certain resources such as water, tools, and seeds are are made available to community gardeners.
Sea Call Farm Management
The Conservation Department manages and provides financial oversight of the gardens and collects fees paid into a 53E ½ Conservation Department Fund. The Office processes any expenses incurred for garden plot maintenance. To obtain a community garden plot or get on the waiting list, please contact the Conservation Commission either at Orleans Town Hall or via the form on the Membership page.
The Sea Call Farm Supporters are a non-profit organization responsible for painting and restoring Sea Call Farm buildings as well as limited mowing and trash removal in accordance with the one-year Contract Agreement dated March 15, 2008. Farm Supporters maintain liability insurance for working on the property.
The Sea Call Community Gardeners Although the town manages the overall property, the gardeners who sign up and annually pay for a garden plot are responsible for maintaining their individual plots. There are rules which must be followed, including when dues must be paid, when at least part of the garden plot must be planted, and when plots should be cleared late in the season.
Our Community
We’re a collection of individuals that enjoy working our garden plots and reaping the fruits of our labor. And we’re very thankful for the beautiful and historic resource that is Sea Call Farm and the support we receive from the Conservation Commission and the Town of Orleans.
Working With One Another
At Sea Call, we help our fellow gardeners with watering and picking produce when needed and share with the community when we have excess vegetables.
With Nature and Science
We use organic practices and mostly no-till management of soil with winter cover crops. We do periodic soil testing and we’re working on other improvements.
Teaching and Learning
Our leadership organizes teaching and learning events for our garden community by involving experts such as those from the USDA and Cornell University.
Sea Call Flyover
Here’s an overhead view of the Sea Call Farm community garden during late summer of 2020, just as many of the Sea Call gardeners were starting to plant and care for their Fall cover crops.
Thanks to fellow gardener, Tim Counihan, for the wonderful drone footage!