Our History
Harmony Farms is a blueberry farm located in North Scituate, Rhode Island
The history of Harmony Farms
The original 28-acre property, bisected by Howard Lane, was forest land when it was purchased by Bernard and Mary Ellen 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 the source of the drip irrigation system in place today (reducing water use by efficiently concentrating the water near the roots of the plant.)
The Smith’s established four fields of blueberries totalling 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 and apple orchard on Elmdale Road, as well as Harmony Farms. The family strives to maintain the legacy of growing high-quality fruits and vegetables.
On May 25, 2023, Gil Barden the leader of our farm and our family died unexpectedly while working at our home. He leaves behind a legacy of farming that we attempt to honor every day. He quietly did the work of 3 people. We try to meet the challenges that result from the arduous pace that he lived. It makes us appreciate him all the more. His passion for the farm pushed him to achieve levels of accomplishment that many would shy away from, and it takes 4 full-time invested people to contribute to the knowledge that he had all in his brain.
Visit us at 387 Saw Mill Rd (Blueberry Farm is off Howard Lane), North Scituate, RI, United States, 02857 from July to the end of August.
