The Ruth Bennett Community Farm (RBCF) at the public housing development also named for the historic Chester figure, has attracted a lot of positive attention from visitors since it was established in 2020 and recently the newest visitors were County Council Chair Richard Womack and Chester Township Council officials Calvin Bernard and Grace Bell.
According to a county press release, the visit gave Womack and the others an inside look into how the farm operates and has grown to be a contributor to the entire community. “I was honored to get a behind the scenes look at this farm that supports the Chester community and improves food security in our area,” said Womack. “The opportunity (it) provides for residents to enjoy healthy, local food harvested by their neighbors is a great example of what makes Delaware County the best community in the world to live.”
The farm is located on two acres of land at Ruth L. Bennett Homes, Chester’s largest federally subsidized public housing development with 261 family units. It was established by then-Chester Housing Authority Executive Director Steve Fischer as a means to encourage self-sufficiency among residents and have a positive impact on the issue of food insecurity since Chester had no local supermarket.
Through the years, the farm has engaged adult and youth residents, developed job training and mentoring programs, free biweekly produce distributions of vegetables grown at the farm along with additional produce and eggs they purchase, and become a model of urban farming and selfsufficiency…