Chester farm feeds the body and soul of a community

Chester’s Ruth Bennett Community Farm is a vibrant oasis in a desert of dull brick and lifeless concrete.

Tucked below Interstate 95 at the top of a cul-de-sac, the 2-acre farm teems with life: organic produce, wildflowers, and a host of winged insects that flutter between the two.

“This is like a resurrection of life here,” assistant manager Malik Savage said during a recent visit.

The farm, managed by the Chester Housing Authority, is also a place where residents can snag groceries.

Between June and October, Bennett operates a weekly farm stand where people can walk up and buy fresh fruit and vegetables at a discount, a noteworthy opportunity in a city with just one supermarket, and a big deal to Savage.

“You get to help people who are disenfranchised, that don’t have the privilege that a lot of people have,” he said.

All proceeds from the stand are plowed back into the farm so it can continue feeding, and boosting, the community the way it has for more than a decade — one sale at a time.