Block Island
One of the few working family farms on Block Island
SPAR Point Farm might be the smallest family farm in the smallest town in the smallest state of the US, but we have big ideas and big hearts. We’re building a farm that works in cooperation with the unique maritime climate of Block Island, using natural methods. On these six acres, we grow lots of vegetables, herbs, wheat, hybrid grapes, pomes and stone fruits; we recycle and collect food scraps and other organic material to make our own compost to feed the soil; we maintain bees and judiciously harvest their honey; we make wine, cider, and mead from our grapes, apples and honey; we bake bread, using native yeasts and honey; we forage for wild medicinals and hunt for sylvan fruit; we play music, we play with ideas, and explore those into passions.
Manifesto
We take inspiration from agroecological, biodynamic, and regenerative practices; and sometimes delve into more esoteric traditions. Our work aims to foster varieties of produce that are biologically adapted to the area and respectful of seasonal cycles. We hope our efforts create a more self-sustaining island by making more local food available with fewer outside inputs. That could mean less transport, fewer destructive practices, and more biodiversity on the island.
Our farm is a “queer” safe space – the essence of “queer” being reconsideration of (and in some instances challenging) established ideas and norms, relating to the earth and ecosystem of our farm, all of the living entities that depend on that earth, and the larger world around us.
Regarding the earth, our farm is queer because we reconsider, challenge, and in many aspects eschew current conventional agricultural practices involving chemicals and pesticides that ultimately harm our soil.
Regarding the living entities that depend on the earth, our farm is queer because we regard every life as meaningful, transient and precious and we work hard to curate an environment that is respectful, humble, life-sustaining and affirming, from the smallest microbe to the tallest tree.
We all come here because the earth continues to heal us; we humans need to experience nature for all that it brings to us. We work in conversation with the bees, the trees, the vines, the land, the water… and we listen with our hearts and minds open so that we can live healthier, fuller lives, and bring to others what nature gives to us.
Our Impact Goals
- To create a more self-sustaining island by making more local food available with fewer outside inputs.
- To educate visitors (“Humans need to experience nature”) and provide a “Queer safe space” that conciliates established social and agricultural norms.
Nature's Partners
The farm is flanked by 230 acres of conservation land to the west and enjoys sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, striking sunsets, and wondrous stargazing.
Apiary
- 6 healthy bee colonies and plenty of honey
Chickens & Eggs
- Gorgeous RI hens and surprisingly colorful eggs (blue, green and brown!)
Garden & Greenhouse
- Sumptuous vegetables, tomatoes, herbs and tubors thriving in rich homespun compost
Orchard
- Over two dozen fruit trees and a dozen different cultivars
Vineyard
- Unique red and white hybrid varietals on an iconic Galician trellis
Bread
- Lovingly handmade sourdough from island yeast and local grains
Crew
Meet the Farm Fam
Joe Teja
Hospitality, Vineyard, Orchard, Forager, Fermentation
Zak Bowden
Vineyard, Orchard, Forager, Fermentation, Maintenance
Michael Lorenzo
Gardener, Forager, Chef, Mixologist, Hospitality
Jose Gallegos
Symbiont – Baker, Beekeeper, Honey-Spinner, Forager, Gardener, Nature Priest
Mike Biltonen
Orchard and Vineyard Steward, Soil Shaman, Co-Fermenter
Pop
Forever Cook, Baker and Fix-it Guy
JBLT
On Sabbatical
Lukas Paltanavicius
Agroecological Practices, Marketing and Outreach, Community Impact
Andy & Anton Ruf
Summer Farmers
Winter, Castor & Junior
100% Good Vibes Only
WHEN we’re not working, we come together at our humble table at the Gambrel, the main farmhouse. Our communal acts of cooking, drinking wine and cider, eating garden-grown vegetables and locally sourced foods, marveling at the sunsets and stars, and sharing and playing music feel like acts as old as the land itself. Even if the world feels scary in some ways, we can find some peace in communing with nature and each other. It brings out our best ideas — the best of ourselves.
Regarding the humans that depend on the earth of our farm, our homestead is made up of chosen family; some of whom identify as LGBTQ+, some of whom identify as straight, and all of whom identify as themselves, whoever they may be from time to time. We come from different places and are of different ages, ethnicities, countries of origin, and life experiences. Our farm works hard to be safe, welcoming and nurturing to all – it is queer because at any given time, anyone associated with the farm may have ideas, feelings, likes, loves, tastes, spirits, desires or goals that reconsider and challenge established ideas and norms. We are queer because our notions about consumerism, food quality, packaging and transportation, environmental consciousness, ecology, relationships of all kinds, communication, love, and family itself reconsider and sometimes challenge established ideas and norms.
Hi! Hola! Ciao! Labas!
Say hi to us
Contact Info
We believe a farm is only as strong as its community. Whether you have questions about our regenerative practices, requests for a future stay, or suggestions on how we can better care for this land together, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out and let’s start a conversation.
Off the Grid, On the Map
A stone’s throw from the mainland but a century away in spirit. Escape to an island where the only traffic is a passing boat and the only big lights are the stars.
Proud members of the Block Island Chamber of Commerce
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