News
November 1, 2023
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 […]
October 31, 2023 • Anna Kelchlin, Farm Manager
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 […]
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 […]
September 27, 2023
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 […]
When peak season subsides at Gaining Ground, we remain busy and productive—including making autumn visits to our hunger relief partners. These 16+ organizations provide a connection between the farm and the community, by distributing organic produce from Gaining Ground to thousands of people experiencing food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts. September visits have included the Bedford […]
It’s been a busy, bountiful season at Gaining Ground, and we offer heartfelt thanks to our talented farmers for leading this work! One such farmer is Avery Indermaur, a third-year field crew member who took on two new roles this year: Development Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator. In her third season at Gaining Ground, Avery Indermaur […]
September 9, 2023
We are thrilled to announce the opening of Photography on the Farm, a self-guided exhibit of community artworks on display at Gaining Ground from Sept. 9 to Oct. 20, 2023. Immense thanks to the 21 artists who submitted their striking perspectives on nature, farming, and hunger relief work. All are invited to view the gallery […]
August 29, 2023
We welcome thousands of volunteers to the farm each year, and almost half are youth. Typically classrooms and families visit once or twice during the season. Yet one particular group, the High School Farm Team (HSFT), spends all summer helping our crew in the fields. Since the program began in 2016, the HSFT—comprising students from […]
Up-tempo music and conversations among neighbors were the soundtrack on a recent afternoon for the open-air food pantry that convenes twice a week in Chelsea, at a Route 1 underpass, coordinated by the Latina-led nonprofit La Colaborativa. In the shade, community members chose from vegetables, fruits, grains, flours, dairy, eggs, proteins, and canned goods. “All […]
What’s 115,000 pounds, but just a tiny piece of the big picture? The weight of our annual harvest! Numbers command attention. They tell a story. And poundage in particular is a prominent metric on the farm. Accurately recording the weight of each harvest helps us understand production rates; track patterns in crop performance; gauge the […]
July 27, 2023
Gaining Ground’s hunger-relief work is made possible by a community of generous volunteers dedicated to holistic, sustainable farming practices and helping to improve access to fresh, nutritious produce for our neighbors struggling to put food on the table. A remarkable member of this team is Rob Webber. We recently caught up with Rob to learn […]
Summer is in bloom, and the flowers at Gaining Ground are alive with colors, aromas, and even sounds, like the hum of wasps in the celosia. Each year, in addition to powerhouse veggies and herbs, we are proud to grow and donate a wide variety of cut flowers through Food for Families, a program we […]
Food is a common thread that connects us to one another and to our larger community. At Gaining Ground, we believe that consistent access to nutritious, ethically-grown, and culturally-relevant food is a necessity and a right. It is critical to us that the fruits and vegetables that we grow reach the members of our community […]
July 17, 2023
Gaining Ground is looking for an exceptional candidate to fill the newly-created role of Director of Agriculture. The Director of Agriculture will possess significant experience with and knowledge of no-till, organic vegetable production; a demonstrated aptitude in managing a team of farmers and engaging with more than 3,000 annual volunteers; a positive, strategic mindset; and a healthy, self-motivated work ethic. This position requires a passionate commitment to hunger relief and equitable access to nutritious food.
July 14, 2023
Calling all photographers! Submissions are now open for Photography on the Farm, a special exhibit at Gaining Ground that will showcase the creative talents and perspectives of community artists. If you love making pictures of farms, gardens, and the natural world, we encourage you to submit your work. The deadline is August 11, 2023. All […]
June 27, 2023 • Gaining Ground
We are thrilled to share the news that Gaining Ground plans to expand our farming operations to five acres of land within Minute Man National Historical Park. The new land will help us meet growing demand for fresh, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables at emergency food programs in Greater Boston and the MetroWest. “Food insecurity continues […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
The landscape of food insecurity in Massachusetts has transformed in the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In 2019, the rate of household food insecurity was 19 percent, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Today, it stands at 33 percent. This profound change has demanded ingenuity and adaptability from many of the organizations […]
• Gaining Ground
June is not only a turning point in our harvests, it is also the first full month of the season when our farming staff is at maximum capacity. New to the team this year is Field Crew Member Rachael Walton, a former Gaining Ground student volunteer who now brings her passion for sustainable agriculture and […]
June 22, 2023
Healthy soil grows healthy crops, and we’ve seen this first-hand at Gaining Ground since retiring the rototiller in 2015. You can learn more about the no-till practices we use to grow food for hunger relief during a free workshop next month, presented by Farm Manager Anna Kelchlin and Co-Assistant Farm Managers Kari Bender and Chrissie […]
May 30, 2023 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
This past February, even as fresh snow blanketed the farm, it was warm inside Gaining Ground’s greenhouse. It might have been the middle of winter, but the farmers were filling trays with potting mix and weighing out seeds before dusting them onto the soil. Led by Co-Assistant Farm Manager Kari Bender, Gaining Ground undertook an […]
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