This lottery could change your gardening life: Orleans offers chance at large plots

ORLEANS — The dream sequence goes like this: I am an organic farmer in a giant garden. Somehow, all the vegetables can sing and dance. Chipmunks are popping corn over a campfire. Suddenly, thousands of butterflies lift me into the air and drop me into an enormous, squishy beefsteak tomato.

My sleep coach, Dr. Snoozely, says the meaning is obvious: I need a bigger garden. But finding a good-sized chunk of extra land on Cape Cod seems like, well, a pipe dream.

At least that's what I thought until I read about an amazing green opportunity on the town of Orleans website. Here's the exciting part: "The Town of Orleans is expanding agricultural activity on Putnam Farm and you can be part of it!"

Putnam Farm, owned by the town, has always been one of my favorite quick-stop nature spots on the Cape. The 14-acre property is located behind Orleans District Court, with a dirt driveway off Rock Harbor Road that leads to a parking area. There are about a dozen established garden plots already in place, and it's always a blast to see what the pro gardeners are up to.

Now, the town is ramping up the garden party. Eight additional large plots (50 feet by 70 feet) are expected to be available by spring 2024. I'm no math whiz, but each plot would be 3,500 square feet. That is roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island! Wait, my fact-checkers tell me that estimate is incorrect, but still, for a Cape Cod gardener, that is a ton of space.

The plots are being offered via a lottery that is now open to all Massachusetts residents. But there is a $500 annual fee for the plots, a detail that might make a big difference for mistake-prone gardeners like me. I'd hate to pay $500 for a yield of one carrot, two bee stings and a lot of weeds.

What could you do with such a large plot? Seeking agrarian answers, I rang up the fabulous C.L. Fornari, likely the Cape's greatest gardening guru. She was intrigued by the size of the Putnam plots, which are much larger than the typical 20 feet by 20 feet plots found in many community gardens.

"If you have a freezer or want to can, you could grow food that would take you through the winter in a plot that size," said Fornari. She also thought it would be a great space for a cut flower farm or a way for folks to grow stuff for donation to local soup kitchens or food pantries.

I told C.L. that I was worried about my inner lazy guy, the slovenly fellow who might find it hard to make it over to a garden that wasn't in my yard.

"The downside is you have to get into the car to go pick dinner," she said.

But she suggested planting things that need frequent attention (green beans, tomatoes) in raised beds at home, and using the community plot for items that fall into the "slow cooking" format — stuff that doesn't need to be tended as frequently, like squash, pumpkins and melons.

C.L. said a nourishing sense of community can also spring from these types of gardens. Folks share seedlings, tubers, advice and positive vibes. And perhaps the most intriguing thing about the Putnam plots is "you've got a big open space with plenty of sun," she said.

Folks who are interested in entering the Putnam Farm lottery can do so by calling the Orleans Conservation Department at 508-240-3700 x2425 or you can stop by town hall at 19 School Road in Orleans. While a firm deadline date for entering the lottery doesn't seem to be in place, "those interested in entering the lottery should do so now," according to the town's press release.

Thus, I have a lot to think about. Should I rest on my home garden laurels or go big-time in Orleans? It's a nice warm thing to think about as Jack Frost looms.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod gardening: Ideas for a community plot, from flowers to melons