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Our History
The original 28- acre property, bisected by Howard Lane, was forest land when it was purchased by Bernard and MaryEllen Smith in 1978. They began renovating the home that was built in 1796 by two Windsor brothers. In 1990, they remodeled the entire home more extensively while preserving the original 6 fireplaces, including a beehive oven.
In the 1980's the timber was harvested and land cleared to establish Harmony Farms. Irrigation ponds were dug to provide water for all of the new fields and are still used in the drip irrigation system that reduces water use by efficiently concentrating the water near the roots of the plant. The Smiths established four fields of blueberries totaling 6 acres, 3 acres of apples on a "y"-trellis system, blackberries, raspberries, and peach trees. The farm flourished and has produced plentiful sweet fruit for more than 30 years.
In 2017, the Smiths sold the majority of their farm to Gil and Sandie Barden. The Bardens operate their home farm on Elmdale Road as well as Harmony Farms. The family strives to maintain the legacy of growing high quality fruits and vegetables that Gil, Jr and John Barden worked very hard at for over 92 years, and the Smiths began at Harmony Farms over 30 years ago.
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Member RI Fruit Growers Association
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