The Food Project blogs

Announcing Our New Executive Director

michael — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:38:24 +0000

Dear Friends,

On behalf of The Food Project’s Board of Trustees, I am writing to share exciting news. We are delighted to inform you that after an exhaustive nine-month nationwide search we have selected Selvin Chambers as The Food Project’s new executive director. Selvin will officially join us on June 1, 2012.

We received an overwhelming response to the job opening and feel fortunate to have had such a rich pool of applicants. We are confident that Selvin’s experience, knowledge, and integrity are a great match for the work, staff, and friends of The Food Project, and together with the youth we will continue to advance our mission in our local communities and spread the vision of a sustainable food system for all.

Selvin is a visionary leader who brings to The Food Project deep experience in civic engagement, youth development, and family services, and has received numerous commendations for his community involvement. During his recent four-year tenure as executive director of the Elizabeth Peabody House in Somerville, Mass., Selvin worked with his Board of Directors to establish a management and organizational structure with a clear governance protocol, steward important fundraising relationships, build strong corporate and community partnerships, create a much-needed food pantry, strengthen programs, and balance community need with strategic growth and resources.

A native of Cambridge, Mass., Selvin’s career has spanned the nonprofit and government sectors. He has served in various capacities at City Year programs around the country, as well as headed up youth and family services departments for the cities of Boston and Cambridge. He holds a degree in sociology from Fitchburg State University, is a graduate of the Initiative on Diversity in Civic Leadership program of Suffolk University, and holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Boston University’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership.

Selvin is honored to have been selected and is eager to get started at The Food Project, learning about our various programs and community initiatives and meeting the many people who help make our work so meaningful. As we enter the busy summer growing season, he will have an excellent opportunity to see our mission come alive as the youth work in our fields to grow food sustainably and in neighborhoods to get this food – and our vital message – to all members of the communities we serve.

I hope you will join with The Food Project's staff and Board of Trustees in welcoming Selvin to our organization. We look forward to introducing him to each one of you over the coming months as we celebrate The Food Project’s 20th year of growing together. If you have any questions or comments about this announcement, please email me at boardchair@thefoodproject.org.

Sincerely,
Eugene B. Benson
Chair, Board of Trustees

“While The Food Project has a twenty-year history of teaching the community about the importance of sustainable agriculture… To me, the most exciting part about the work at The Food Project is that they are utilizing both urban and suburban teen populations to get the message out and raise social awareness about issues surrounding access to fresh healthy foods.”

- Selvin Chambers

upon accepting his new position

as executive director of TFP

City Farm Fest is This Saturday!

Elena — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:53:22 +0000

Come celebrate spring with The Food Project! The Food Project will be holding its annual City Farm Fests in Lynn and Boston this Saturday, May 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All members of the community are invited to join us for gardening workshops; plant, seed, and gardening supplies sales; children’s activities; food; and more. Come learn how to start your garden, get expert tips on maintaining your garden, buy essential garden supplies, or simply enjoy the festivities!

Lynn City Farm Fest

WHERE: TFP's Munroe Street Garden, 100 Munroe Street, Lynn, Mass.

WHEN: Saturday, May 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

WHAT:

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Gardening Workshops: "Planning and Planting Your Raised-Bed Garden" and "Pests, Diseases, and Harvesting Tips"
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Plant and Seed Sale; Gardening Supplies Sale; Children’s Acvities; Food; and More

Download a flier.

Boston City Farm Fest

WHERE: Dudley Greenhouse, 11 Brook Avenue, Roxbury, Mass.

WHEN: Saturday, May 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

WHAT:

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Gardening Workshop: "Pests, Diseases, and Harvesting Tips"
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Plant and Seed Sale; Gardening Supplies Sale; Children’s Acvities; Food; and More

Download a flier.

CLICK HERE to see what PLANTS will be available.

Reminder: We will not be distributing compost at City Farm Fest this spring.

TFP Volunteers Start Food Truck

Elena — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:02:07 +0000

On Friday, April 20th, TFP volunteers Irene, Mei, and Andy Li officially opened their new food struck, the Mei Mei Street Kitchen. "Mei mei" (pronounced may-may) means "little sister" in Chinese, so it is an appropriate name for this sibling-run food truck that serves up creative Chinese food delicacies. Mei Mei has been cruising the streets of Boston for one week now and has been delivering delicious food around the city. Their dishes include pork buns, kale salad, macarons, and more.

Mei Mei Street Kitchen creates Chinese-American food that is made from locally-sourced and sustainably-produced ingredients. The three sibling owners all love food and strive to support local and regional food systems while delivering high quality and delicious food to their customers. They also connect with and support local organizations such as The Food Project and the Bowdoin Street Health Center's Healthy Food Access Project.

Irene, Mei, and Andy have been regular volunteers at The Food Project's farm in Dorchester since the fall of 2011. Together, they have volunteered more than 80 hours! They have planted, weeded, harvested, and washed vegetables at the farm; they have built raised beds in Dorchester and Roxbury; and now they are buying some of the produce for their food truck from The Food Project's farms and the Dudley Greenhouse. This Tuesday, they bought Red Russian Kale from the Dudley Greenhouse, harvested by TFP youth Kenny Lopez and Lucas Munson. The kale became part of their kale salad, which they sold outside the Boston Public Library the next afternoon.

You can find the Mei Mei Street Kitchen this evening on Clarendon Street between Newbury and Boylston. Or, check them out online at http://meimeiboston.com.

TFP Partner Named Boston Neighborhood Fellow

kkim — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:06:24 +0000

Sayed A. Mohamed-Nour, director of the Nubian United Benevolent International Association (NUBIA), Inc., was honored as a Boston Neighborhood Fellow at a ceremony held on April 11, 2012, at the office of City Year. Sayed joined five other local community service leaders in the fellowship class of 2012. Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who described the festivities as “his favorite event” on his calendar, served as keynote speaker.

Administered by The Philanthropic Initiative, the fellowship program celebrates the unsung heroes of greater Boston, builders of community who make vital contributions but who have gone unrecognized. Founded in 1990, the program annually honors individuals who receive direct grants of $30,000 over a three-year period.

“Thank you for this honor,” Sayed said, in brief remarks to the audience. He also thanked his family and friends, including The Food Project and Danielle Andrews, our community food coordinator. The fellowship grant will provide critical additional resources to NUBIA, which works with Sudanese refugees, helping them acclimate to life in a major U.S. city.

Of Sayed, the Boston Neighborhood Fellows Program noted: “A master gardener, [he] knows how to help both plants and people thrive. Since his arrival in Boston, Sayed has tirelessly tilled its urban soil, helping countless members of his own and other communities grow their own food. If he had his way, our city and our people would be in constant bloom: growing, nourishing ourselves and each other.”

Congratulations Sayed!

Farm Shares Are Available for 2012!

Elena — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:13:44 +0000

The Food Project currently has Community-Supported Agriculture farm shares available for the 2012 farm season. The Food Project's Community-Supported Agriculture program is a partnership between our farm and a community of supporters. At the beginning of the season, CSA members purchase a "share" of the crops that will be grown. In return, The Food Project provides a healthy supply of sustainably grown, fresh vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

Each week, CSA members come to our farm to pick up their share of the produce or receive a box share of produce. Each CSA farm share contains enough vegetables to feed a family of four mixed-diet individuals or 2-3 vegetarian adults. Each CSA box share contains enough vegetables to feed 2-3 mixed-diet individuals or 1-2 vegetarian adults. The CSA program runs from mid-June through the end of October and offers a wide variety of produce.

CSA farm shares are an easy and fun way to purchase fresh, local, and sustainably grown vegetables for your family. On-farm shareholders visit our farms each week to select their produce. We also often offer pick-your-own for on-farm CSA members and their families. Box share members pick up their shares at a convenient urban location each week.

The Food Project's CSA Programs:

Summer Farm Share in Lincoln, MA

Pick-up site: TFP's farm in Lincoln
More information: 781-259-8621 x21 or csa@thefoodproject.org

Summer Farm Share in Lynn, MA

Pick-up site: TFP's farm in Lynn
More information: 781-259-8621 x44 or lynn-csa@thefoodproject.org

Summer Farm Share in Beverly, MA

Pick-up site: TFP's farm in Beverly
More information: 781-259-8621 x51 or beverly-csa@thefoodproject.org

Summer Metro Boston Box Share

Pick-up sites: Various sites are available in Cambridge, Arlington, Somerville, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury.
More information: 781-259-8621 x21 or csa@thefoodproject.org

Volunteer with TFP This Spring!

Elena — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:03:01 +0000

Our farms are back in action this spring and we are looking for volunteers to help us spread compost, plant, transplant, weed, harvest, and more. If you like to get your hands in the dirt, meet new people, and have fun outdoors, then this is the right volunteer opportunity for you!

We seek volunteers at our farms in Boston, Lincoln, Lynn, and Beverly in April, May, and June. Come by yourself, bring a friend, or sign up to bring a group from your company, school, or community group.

Boston - Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Beverly - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 9:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lincoln - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lynn - Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

For more information, please check out our volunteer website. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please contact the us at participate@thefoodproject.org or 781-259-8621 x26.

City Farm Fest Will Be on May 12th

Elena — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:32:22 +0000

Come celebrate spring with TFP! The Food Project will be holding its annual City Farm Fest at the Dudley Greenhouse in Roxbury on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The festival will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with a workshop entitled "Pests, Diseases, and Harvesting Tips." From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., TFP staff and youth will be selling plants, seeds, and gardening supplies. The festival will also feature children's activities and food for everyone.

An additional plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Dudley Greenhouse. Stop by to purchase cold-tolerant plants to get your garden started early this year!

For more information about the City Farm Fest, please download a flier or contact Community Programs Coordinator Kathleen Banfield.

Tomato Day at the Dudley Greenhouse

jennie — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:51:20 +0000

On Saturday, March 24, 15 community members enjoyed a day at the Dudley Greenhouse for The Food Project's tomato planting event. First, the group helped to plant tomato seedlings in the greenhouse’s enterprise bay. The tomato plants were started as seeds at Atlas Farm in Western Massachusetts, which belongs to The Food Project's former urban grower.

On Saturday morning, TFP intern Emily Walls explained how to plant the tomato seedlings to the group. She demonstrated digging a deep hole where there was a patch of fertilizer, gently placing the tomato in the hole, and patting soil firmly around the plant. After the demonstration, volunteers worked in pairs, speedily getting all 800 tomatoes in the ground.

After their hard work, the group gathered in the community bay for a workshop entitled "Workers in the Food System." Led by two of The Food Project's youth interns, the workshop highlighted the conditions faced by tomato farmers in Immokalee, Fla., where most of the country's tomatoes are grown. Calling attention to cases of modern day slavery in Immokalee, the interns connected the stories back to our work in the greenhouse, highlighting the importance of knowing where your food is grown as a way to guarantee that the people growing it are being treated fairly. The workshop sparked a discussion about food justice amongst the participants, and the conversations about processed food and diet-related disease continued into lunch.

For lunch, the group ate pasta with tomato sauce that TFP interns made using last season's greenhouse tomatoes. As they ate, guests doodled responses to the prompt "Tomatoes make me think of..." on the paper tablecloth. Responses included "summer," "spaghetti," and "dirt."

This Saturday, March 31, interns will return to the greenhouse to help trellis the tomatoes. The tomatoes will be ready to harvest at the end of May, and they will be sold to restaurants in the Boston area, as well as at The Food Project's farmers' market in Dudley Town Common.

New “Grow Well” Workshop at Dudley Greenhouse

Elena — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:57:53 +0000

The Food Project will be presenting a new "Grow Well" gardening workshop entitled "Planning and Planting Basics." The workshop will take place three times in the upcoming month. We will also be repeating two popular workshops from earlier in the spring: "Tips for Getting Started Early" and "Pests, Diseases, and Harvesting Tips."

Don't miss out – these workshops are essential season-starters for the many container gardeners in our neighborhood!

Grow Well: Bringing your gardening skills to a new level

Planning and Planting Basics

* Saturday, March 31, 2:00 - 4:00 P.M.

* Saturday, April 14, 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

* Wednesday, April 25, 6:00 - 8:00 P.M.

Tips for Getting Started Early

* Saturday, April 7, 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Pests, Diseases, and Harvesting Tips

* Saturday, May 12, 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Download a flyer for more information.

Mother Caroline Students Discover Growing

Elena — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:33:04 +0000

Standing in a misshapen circle in the center of the Dudley Greenhouse's community bay, 12 middle school girls share their favorite food memories. They share delicious stories about eating new foods during their travels, sweet stories about cooking with their families, and funny stories about sharing snacks with their friends at school.

It is the first day in the greenhouse for a new group of 5th through 8th grade girls from the Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester, Mass. Girls from Mother Caroline have been visiting their four raised-bed gardens in the community bay of the greenhouse each week since the fall of 2011. The students grow vegetables in the greenhouse, learn about food systems and food justice, and visit Cooking Matters to learn to cook some of the vegetables that they have grown.

After the introduction and a tour of the greenhouse, the girls set to the task of planting a bed full of cucumbers. The cucumber bed is an experiment of sorts: in one half of the bed, they plant traditional green cucumbers; in the other half, a prickly yellow variety. Over the coming weeks, they will compare the growth of the two varieties to see which grows better in the greenhouse and which tastes better at the end.

While some of the girls finish up the cucumber planting, others move over to another of their raised beds to harvest the rest of the kale and collard greens planted earlier in the winter. Once the girls get the hang of snapping off the large leaves, the questions begin to flow. Can I eat this right now? What are the little holes in the leaves? Why do kale and collards grow on big stalks? What are these bugs all over the plants?! Squeals ring through the greenhouse as the girls discover aphids on the kale leaves and small spiders sauntering across the soil. Despite these setbacks, the girls manage to harvest a heaping pile of greens. At the end of the afternoon, each girl leaves with a fistful of collards or kale to bring home to her family.

The ladies from Mother Caroline Academy will continue to learn and grow in the Dudley Greenhouse through the end of their school year. For more information about the community bays at the Dudley Greenhouse, please contact Community Food Coordinator Danielle Andrews.