Volunteer Q&A:  Ashley Perssico of Toast

Just as perennial plants and herbs delight us with consistent nourishment on the farm, Gaining Ground is sustained and encouraged by perennial volunteers—those who return year after year.  We’re lucky to count Ashley Perssico among our enduring supporters. Not only has Ashley grown from a recurring volunteer to a trusted board member, but she has […]

Special Thanks from Our 2023 Season

The board and staff would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who gave generously and shared their time and talents with Gaining Ground last season. Special thanks go to: Belmont Day School, Thoreau Elementary School, Tenacre Country Day School, and all of the individual students who participated in our 2023 Read for […]

Growing Our Impact, Healing the Land 

Happy Spring! It’s the most wonderful time to celebrate all the tremendous work that’s been happening at Gaining Ground over the many years! Our mission to grow nutritious food in support of hunger relief is both admirable and humbling. As the new Director of Agriculture, I am honored to join these efforts with our passionate […]

Rooted in Change: Seasonal Transitions and Sustainable Solutions on Virginia Road 

The season is kicking into gear, and at the farm on Virginia Road our team is busy with all of the tasks that mark the coming of spring.  We farmers kept busy through winter harvesting from high tunnels, repairing tools, crop planning, building out farm infrastructure, and much more. Now we’re thrilled to welcome back […]

Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Gaining Ground Alumni

Our mission doesn’t end at the edge of the farm. Instead, we aim to cultivate our values within each person who visits Gaining Ground—including the growers who strengthen their incredible talents on our crew. When farmers leave the organization, they take those values with them, working to create the future we envision collectively, in which […]

Give Local: The Community Foundation for MetroWest

As we promote food security through local, sustainable agriculture, we celebrate the local, sustainable philanthropy that makes our efforts possible—like generous investments from The Community Foundation for MetroWest, which launched almost 30 years ago to change lives in the region.  “Back then, there were many philanthropic efforts in Greater Boston but people seemed blissfully unaware […]

A Winning Team of Volunteers

What can happen when you join a team eager to develop their “game” with extraordinary “coaches” who excel at growing food and creating a sense of purpose?  The inaugural Community Farm Team formed in 2022, made up of folks who had found tremendous joy volunteering at Gaining Ground and who hoped for longer sessions and […]

Sowing Seeds of Accessibility

Over the years, I’ve heard numerous Gaining Ground visitors describe the joy, happiness, and wonder they experience during their trips to the farm. This special place can be a sanctuary, a source of inspiration, and a balm for our frenetic and screen-heavy lives. Sharing the farm with visitors—particularly volunteers—is a central part of our work. […]

Visit Gaining Ground and Enjoy Poetry on the Farm

The arrival of spring signals many important events on the farm—including our annual Poetry on the Farm exhibit!  In its fourth year, this special celebration of language, food, nature, and agriculture will again take the form of a self-guided farm tour, featuring poems from community members of all ages. Thank you to everyone who submitted […]

Celebrating YOUR Impact!

Winter months on the farm are prime time for reflection, and when we look back on the 2023 season—from sowing seeds to reaping abundance—we see YOU, our amazing community of supporters, at every step. Thank you! Without your generous contributions of time, talent, and treasure, Gaining Ground simply could not farm as we do, exclusively […]

Farmer Spotlight: New Growth with Farm Co-Managers Kari Bender and Chrissie Edgeworth

If you’ve spent time at Gaining Ground in the last few years—or attended one of our free no-till training sessions—you’ve likely had the pleasure of working with and learning from Kari Bender and Chrissie Edgeworth. Combined, Kari and Chrissie have almost a decade of farm experience, including their leadership last season as Co-Assistant Farm Managers.  […]

Farmer Spotlight: Welcoming Director of Agriculture Mark Congdon

Last year we announced that Gaining Ground had embarked on a milestone farm expansion, to bring another 5.1 acres of historically-significant Concord land into cultivation so we may grow and donate more fresh, healthy food for our neighbors in need! To ensure our success as we more than double our footprint, we created the new […]

We’re Hiring: 2024 Field Crew

We are hiring for three open 2024 Field Crew positions at the farm in Concord, MA. Read on for further details!

Fresh Flavors and Full Hearts – Women’s Lunch Place

On a crisp fall morning, chef Inna Khitrik stirred a huge skillet of aromatic Mediterranean soup over the stove at Women’s Lunch Place, a Boston-based day shelter that serves more than 1,800 unhoused women each year. “We ask for just their first names, no other questions,” said Khitrik, who became the Kitchen Manager in July […]

Cultivating a Legacy

Since 2021, Gaining Ground has thrived under the leadership of Farm Manager Anna Kelchlin, a skilled grower with more than 12 years of experience who also brings a strong philosophy of mindfulness, care, and gratitude to her work.  Season after season, Anna has led the dynamic Gaining Ground crew to produce hundreds of thousands of […]

A Year of Plenty: Looking Back on the 2023 Season

As the farm settles in for its winter rest, we reflect with gratitude on the year’s successes and challenges. The fields are quiet now, blanketed beneath cover crop, mulch, or salt marsh hay. Gone are the spirited laughter and chatter of volunteers. The barn and pavilion are packed tightly with distribution tables, banana boxes, tools, […]

Volunteer Q&A: Mark Mullins

This year more than 3,200 people have volunteered with Gaining Ground, helping us promote regional food security by growing and donating fresh, organic produce for people in need! One of those community members is Mark Mullins, who first volunteered in 2022—and has kept coming back! We appreciate Mark’s consistent, positive presence, and were glad to […]

Cover Cropping for Healthy Soil and a Harmonious Ecosystem

The key to building soil health is photosynthesis, hands down. All life depends on this beautiful synergy between sunlight, water, plants and microorganisms. Our mission as farmers, as land stewards, is to constantly promote and encourage diverse growth in order to continue this cycle of life. I am excited to tell you about the importance […]

Farmer Spotlight:  Dayanna “Day” De La Rosa

October is a bittersweet month on the farm, as productivity wanes and the season ends for some of our field crew members. Since April, they have stewarded the land with care, respect, and skill to help us grow fresh, organic produce for hunger relief. We thank them! In 2023 we were lucky to have Dayanna […]

Sowing Seeds of Change with the 2023 Farm Bill

You’ve probably heard the term “Farm Bill” a lot this year, as the current legislation—passed in 2018—is set to expire on Sept. 30. So what is the bill? What’s at stake, and how can we get involved with intention? We’ve been asking the same questions at Gaining Ground, so we can help to shape laws […]
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