Field Notes: September Updates |
Late summer is a vibrant, bustling time on the farm, thanks to our community of volunteers, interns, and apprentices working alongside our dedicated professional farm team. Hearty crops like eggplant, leeks, carrots, and onions are thriving, bringing nourishment to our partner communities throughout eastern Massachusetts.
As of 8/31, we donated nearly 75,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious produce; that’s over 337,000 individual servings to date this year! This represents a 9.8% increase in pounds and a 7% increase in servings compared to this time in 2025. Yet, our partner organizations—including food pantries, meal programs, shelters, and schools—remind us that as demand climbs, the need for fresh produce grows even more urgent.
Our investments in soil fertility at the new satellite fields at the Minute Man National Historical Park are really paying off! These fields yielded an exceptional, projection-exceeding harvest of cantaloupe and watermelon. At our flagship site, August heat reduced tomato yields and intense pest pressure impacted peppers and cucumbers. The team quickly adapted, and we are mitigating these losses by planting extra fall beds of broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and beets.
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Fall Volunteer Opportunities
Gaining Ground welcomes both individuals and groups to volunteer on the farm. With opportunities scheduled through October, fall is a great time to volunteer!
Sign up soon as slots tend to fill up quickly.
Interested in bringing your corporate group out for a day of meaningful team building? Learn more about corporate team volunteering opportunities. |
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An estimated one in three children in Massachusetts is experiencing food insecurity. Hunger severely impacts a child’s ability to focus in school and can delay important developmental milestones. To help ensure students are ready to learn, we partner with Community Teamwork’s Head Start Early Learning Center in Lowell and Bridge Boston Charter School in Roxbury, with the support of National Charity League (NCL) volunteers
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Our cookbook,The Gaining Ground Table: Inspirational Recipes Season by Season was this month’s pick at the Cookbook Club at the Concord Library’s Fowler Branch. Club members came together for a wonderful potluck lunch using the book’s recipes, and learned about Gaining Ground’s hunger relief mission. One standout dish was brought by Carolyn Shohet (front, left) a local cooking teacher and cookbook author. Her recipe for stifado, a hearty Greek stew, is one of the many seasonal dishes included in Gaining Ground’s cookbook. |
All book sales support Gaining Ground’s mission to nourish people experiencing food insecurity with fresh farm-grown produce. |
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| Sustaining Families with Fresh Harvests Year Round |
Did you know Gaining Ground grows and donates fresh produce all year round? In winter, there is often an uptick in food insecurity as high heating bills squeeze budgets. Last year, Gaining Ground increased winter growing by 200%! You can help provide fresh, healthy food throughout the year by setting up a monthly donation in any amount.
In fact, our farm team is prepping for the winter growing season right now by seeding carrots, onions, and bunching broccoli. |
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“We have been able to use everything you send… and often wish for more.”
The Harvard Square Churches Meal Program provides those in need in the Cambridge community with a full-course, home cooked meal every Thursday evening since 1982. |
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Your Partnership is Essential |
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Your partnership is essential to creating a community where everyone has enough healthy food to eat, each and every day. In 2025, 40% of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity. Either they couldn’t afford enough food or worried about where their next meal would come from.
Your donation means neighbors in need don’t have to choose between buying healthy food and paying rent. |
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| Donations in any amount are gratefully accepted by check, online payment, stock transfer, qualified charitable contribution, or donor-advised fund. EIN: 04-3083976.
Planned Giving creates a lasting legacy for the next generation and beyond. Learn more |
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