News
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 […]
• Anna Kelchlin, Farm Manager
Gaining Ground grows over 50 different types of vegetables, fruits, and flowers on three acres of land with just over a half of an acre under tunnel production. We do this using no-till, regenerative methods that we see as beyond organic—meaning they meet and surpass organic growing requirements. Many of the farming practices we employ […]
• Gaining Ground
This month’s newsletter offers us a great opportunity to check in with Assistant Grower and Assistant Volunteer Leader Maddie Weikel, who now has a couple months with us under her belt. We’re grateful to have Maddie on the team for the 2023 season, and to introduce her to the whole Gaining Ground community. Where is […]
April 7, 2023 • Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director
As part of my work at Gaining Ground, I’m frequently aware that food is more than just fuel for our bodies. Food—and meals—can be a source of joy and provide ways for us to connect with friends and family. We can incorporate some of our favorites into our daily routines (for me, that’s having a […]
• Gaining Ground
Board of Directors Our board of directors and staff make an incredible team. Together, they have helped Gaining Ground accomplish phenomenal harvests in spite of unpredictable changes in weather patterns, guided us through the creation and launch of an exciting new strategic plan for the organization, and enabled us to strive to meet rising food […]
• Anna Kelchlin, Farm Manager
A question I am frequently asked come November is, “What do you do in the winter as a farmer?” One of the primary focuses during these cold, dark months is crop planning. Although the bulk of the crop planning work takes place in December and January, the process is unending and involves observing, reflecting, note-taking, […]
• Allison Goodwin, Operations Director
Gaining Ground’s 2022 growing season was a resounding success with 115,373 pounds of vegetables, fruit, herbs, maple syrup, honey, and cut flowers distributed to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Thanks to a team of hardworking, experienced farmers led by Anna Kelchlin, as well as the helping hands of more than 3,100 volunteers, production increased 17 […]
• Allison Goodwin, Operations Director
Gaining Ground’s Volunteer Committee includes members of the organization’s Board of Directors, staff, and dedicated volunteer community. Participants include long-term volunteers, members of our Community Farm Team, teachers whose classes participate annually in our Read for Seeds program, and a representative from the National Charity League, a service organization with whom we partner. Last year […]
• Christa Collins, Board of Directors
One of the goals set out in Gaining Ground’s 2022-2027 strategic plan is to extend the farm’s reach in order to increase our impact on food insecurity. One way we’re doing this is by exploring and testing opportunities to expand our food production beyond our current land constraints. Ethical management of our farm means that […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Last year, Gaining Ground’s board and staff gathered over Zoom to participate in a workshop held by Jeff Rogers. Jeff is a leadership coach and facilitator who specializes in helping groups to collectively develop ideas and action steps to increase equity within organizations. He knows how to get important conversations to happen. Teams discussed the […]
• Gaining Ground
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 2022 virtual Read […]
March 27, 2023 • Gaining Ground
The arrival of spring signals many important events on the farm—including our annual Poetry on the Farm exhibit! We are again installing a self-guided farm tour featuring poems authored by Gaining Ground recipients, partner organizations, and poets throughout our community. Poetry on the Farm kicks off on Saturday, April 29, and will continue through Friday, […]
March 6, 2023 • Gaining Ground
Executive Director Jennifer Johnson, along with Catherine D’Amato from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Kannan Thiruvengadam from Eastie Farm, recently spoke with Callie Crossley on GBH Radio’s Under the Radar. Click here to listen to this insightful conversation about rising food insecurity since the pandemic and the importance of improving access to foods that […]
March 1, 2023 • Gaining Ground
For the third year in a row, we’re marking the arrival of spring with a celebration of poetry, food, nature, and farming. This month-long event will feature poems authored by Gaining Ground clients, partner organizations, and poets throughout our community. The poetry installation will take the form of a self-guided tour throughout our farm and […]
February 27, 2023 • Chrissie Edgeworth, Co-Assistant Farm Manager
I had a feast a few weeks ago with friends on a day where the high reached 8 F and the low dipped to minus 18 F. We enjoyed raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, hash browns, scrambled eggs, French toast, and to top it all off, maple syrup from the farm. And while the sweetness filled our […]
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