News
May 12, 2021
For the fifth year (after a pause last year because of the pandemic), Gaining Ground is again partnering with Three Squares New England in the annual Ride for Food. Over the last nine years, the Ride for Food has raised over 3.4 million dollars for local hunger-relief organizations in Massachusetts. This year, the Ride for […]
May 3, 2021 • Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
Gaining Ground’s 2020 growing season was memorable for many reasons. A pandemic altered our lives and behaviors forever. Food insecurity skyrocketed, both in Massachusetts and across the nation. Our caterpillar tunnels were damaged by a microburst storm in April, and we reluctantly suspended our volunteer program for the first time in the organization’s 26 year […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Last March, as the pandemic swept across the country, it didn’t take long before the folks at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) started to hear stories of people in need of personal protective equipment—gloves, masks, hand sanitizer. So they set to work creating an emergency fund for grants to address these new needs, and […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
What drew you to farming? When and how did you start farming? Initially, what drew me to farming was the fact that I didn’t really understand where my food came from and I was curious about our food system, which I have come to learn is in a sense our healthcare system. In 2012, I […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Last year, because of the pandemic, our Maple Sugaring Open House in early March was the only public event we were able to hold at Gaining Ground for the entire season. This year, we had to cancel the big celebration entirely. Even when so much changes, though, we take heart that many things remain the […]
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 2020 virtual Read […]
In tumultuous times, we are more grateful than ever for the dedication of our board of directors and staff. Their talents and skills have helped Gaining Ground achieve record-breaking harvests year after year, and have enabled us to strive to meet rising food insecurity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2020, we […]
• Erin Espinosa, Farm Education Manager
Gaining Ground was thrilled to announce the reopening of our volunteer program this growing season. After a year of isolation and overwhelming challenges, it feels important for all of us—our farmers and our volunteers—to have the opportunity to reconnect with the land and come together in support of hunger relief. Volunteers are essential to the […]
• Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director
“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.How do you measure,Measure a year?” Musical theater buffs may recognize the lyric above from Rent and a song that explores how one defines the truly important events that occur during the course of a year. The Tony award-winning play celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and multiple casts have […]
April 14, 2021 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
In a year marked by so much change, the past months have served as a powerful reminder for everyone at Gaining Ground of the essential role that connection and community plays in our lives. And we know that our volunteers share this understanding with us. As one volunteer who started joining us on the farm […]
April 9, 2021 • Gaining Ground
Gaining Ground invites you to join us for a Poem Walk in celebration of National Poetry Month, which will run at the farm from April 10 to May 10, 2021. Together with the Concord Free Public Library, Gaining Ground collected poetry submissions during the winter from people of all ages on topics like food, spring, […]
February 23, 2021 • Gaining Ground
Did you know April is National Poetry month? Celebrate with us by writing an original poem about vegetables, the weather, birds, bugs, or anything else related to nature and farming! Gaining Ground will feature several poems in a display at the farm this coming April. Submit your poem to: poems@gainingground.org no later than March 15. Thank you!
October 29, 2020 • Elisabeth Elden, Board President
First and foremost, the board thanks everyone who made our year on the farm one of the most productive in our history. Despite some unexpected and challenging issues, we delivered over 440,000 servings of food and grew more than 110,000 pounds. Just a sampling of our challenges included COVID-19, which forced us to suspend our […]
• Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
In a year of uncertainty, one thing has held steady: the unending generosity of the land. Our fields and soils are oblivious to the global pandemic, political turmoil, and painful systemic injustices exposed across the nation. The land gives. The soil teems with microorganisms busily enhancing fertility to support our growing vegetables. Through the gifts […]
• Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
Our newest recipient partner is the East Boston Community Soup Kitchen, which provides meals and groceries to those struggling with food insecurity, homelessness, and other challenges in East Boston. Our program manager, Allison Goodwin, recently interviewed the Kitchen’s founder and executive director, Sandra Niijjar, about her mission to feed her community. Sandra is second from […]
• Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director
The data came in, and it was sobering. This past summer, we needed to prepare for a tripling in the number of people participating in Food for Families, our free farmers market. While shocking, the numbers weren’t surprising. We saw this increased need across the board from all our partner agencies, and news reports indicated […]
• Anna Kelchlin, Wash and Pack Manager
Without water life does not exist. Water makes up 60 percent of the human body, 70 percent of the earth, and almost 90 percent of many of the vegetables we grow, like cucumbers and tomatoes. This season I have spent my days surrounded by this sacred substance—using it to spray, dunk, shimmy, and shine our vegetables.
• Tim O'Brien with eyes and ears from all of 2020 farm staff
This season the farm staff has generated an impressive list of wildlife in and around the farm. There are many reasons we may have noticed more this year than ever before: more naturalists amongst the crew, more wildlife finding food; and shelter and safety in the ecosystem building from our no-till, regenerative farming practices. Whatever […]
September 23, 2020 • Gaining Ground
Gaining Ground is looking for an exceptional candidate to fill the role of farm manager. The farm manager 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 2,500 annual volunteers, and a healthy, self-motivated work ethic. We are […]
September 15, 2020 • Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
Partnerships are a vital component of Gaining Ground’s success. It is through our long-standing relationships with local hunger relief organizations that the nutritious bounty of the farm reaches thousands of our underserved neighbors each season. In response to skyrocketing food insecurity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we entered into several new partnerships this spring. GreenRoots […]
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