History
Sweet Berry Farm was founded by Jan and Michelle Eckhart in the 1980s with a small amount of acreage. It originally was started as a hobby farm growing just a few acres of strawberries and Christmas trees. In the beginning they joined a few local farmers markets, began adding other crops to their repertoire and became more and more passionate about growing.
The first farm stand was set up under a few white canopies, next to an old goat shed. The produce was showcased in beer coolers. Jams and jellies sat on shelves and racks that would all too often blow over in the wind. Most of the cut flowers were stored and sold in the shelter of Eckhart's house. Many customers fondly remember entering the ‘flower room’ filled with buckets and buckets of fresh cut flowers.
The fields next to the farm were owned by a developer who was waiting for the right time to subdivide. There was no possibility that the Eckharts could afford this land however, in 1996, with the help of the Aquidneck Land Trust they managed to purchase the land. Sweet Berry Farm was born.
In the mid 1990s, Jan and Michelle took a leap of faith into full time farming, working with the town, neighboring landowners, and the Aquidneck Land Trust to piece together more than 60 acres of farmland.
The Murphy property was acquired first, with part of the land set aside through an agreement with the town to create community soccer fields that are still in use today. The Carlin parcel followed, made possible through a creative partnership that helped the land trust secure one of its earliest properties and its first farmland conservation project.
Support from the Newport Water Department helped ensure the lower fields would remain undeveloped, and by the late 1990s the Borges parcel was added, further expanding the preserved land.
Together, these efforts protected the property as a working farm, preserving a meaningful piece of Aquidneck Island’s agricultural landscape for generations to come.
In 2004, the farm took an important step forward with the construction of its permanent buildings, including a post and beam farm stand and commercial kitchen. This marked a transition from a simple roadside setup to a full market and café, allowing the farm to expand into prepared foods, baked goods, and a more year round offering.
In March 2025, the farm transitioned to new ownership under New England based stewards, as Jan and Michelle stepped into retirement after decades of care and dedication.
As the farm enters this next chapter, plans center around expanding production, deepening regenerative farming practices, and continuing to grow as a space for community connection, education, and on farm experiences.
Under new stewardship, Sweet Berry Farm is becoming an oasis in an overstimulated world. Here, time moves differently. You'll see it in the way sunlight filters through peach tree branches, taste it in vegetables picked that morning, feel it when you slow down enough to notice the abundance surrounding you.
