NEWPORT – BankNewport has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District to support infrastructure improvements at the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm, including a new solar-powered tractor shed, the bank announced.
The upgrade is expected to boost food production and donations by 20%, expanding the farm’s impact on Aquidneck Island food security and student learning programs, according to the bank.
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AgInnovation serves as both a student-run farm and a hub for food donations across the region. In 2023, the farm donated more than 480 pounds of produce and 120 eggs to Aquidneck Island food banks while hosting 107 student participants.
With the additional storage capacity from the completed shed, the farm will free up space in its seasonal high tunnel to grow more produce and expand its variety of crops, the bank said.
AgInnovation’s produce reaches food banks that serve nearly 6,000 residents across Aquidneck Island communities, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, where 98% of households served meet federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program income guidelines.
Through its All In Giving program, BankNewport has provided more than $7.7 million in support to Rhode Island nonprofits over the past five years, focusing on basic needs, education, economic security, health, the environment and the arts.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
