A Farming Assist From New England Innovation Academy Students
March 6, 2025
As part of their curriculum, 10th graders from a Marlborough school visited Gaining Ground and developed solutions to farm challenges.
Explore: Farm Update
Why Do We Plant Specific Crops?
Seeds Are Sprouting In The Greenhouse
February 10, 2025
The foundation of any successful growing season lies in the seeds.
Maple Syrup Season Is Here
Gaining Ground Sets Record Harvest In 2024
January 21, 2025 • Allison Goodwin
In 2024, Gaining Ground distributed more than 138,000 pounds (582,000 servings) of fresh, nutritious produce to 10,000 individuals.
What Happens On Gaining Ground’s Farm During The Winter?
December 12, 2024
Don’t let anyone tell you farmers take the winter off. With less time-sensitive production work to do, attention has turned to preparing beds for spring, and planning for an efficient new year. And we’re still growing vegetables.
Photography on the Farm is Open!
September 12, 2024 • Brenna Broderick, Development & Communications Manager
We are excited to open our free outdoor photo exhibit, Photography on the Farm. This year it features the works of 27 talented photographers who have captured the essence of nature, farming, and hunger relief. As you explore the exhibit, you’ll encounter beautiful images that showcase diverse perspectives on the land and its bounty, reflecting […]
An Eagle Eye for Pest Control
July 29, 2024 • Danielle Capalbo, Communications & Development Manager
We’re thrilled that two aspiring local Eagle Scouts, Nathaniel Ely (Troop 132) and Charles Mastromarino (Troop 135), chose to complete their capstone service projects on Virginia Road, installing a combined 1,000 feet of hardware cloth around the farm’s perimeter to keep cottontails out and reduce pest pressure from bunnies that can damage up to 10 percent of our annual crop.
Growing Our Impact, Healing the Land
April 26, 2024 • Mark Congdon, Director of Agriculture
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
• Kari Bender and Chrissie Edgeworth, Farm Co-Managers
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
• Dani Capalbo, Communications & Development Manager
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 […]
Visit Gaining Ground and Enjoy Poetry on the Farm
April 4, 2024 • Gaining Ground
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!
January 25, 2024
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
Farmer Spotlight: Welcoming Director of Agriculture Mark Congdon
Cultivating a Legacy
December 7, 2023 • The Gaining Ground Team
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
• Allison Goodwin, Operations Director
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, […]
Cover Cropping for Healthy Soil and a Harmonious Ecosystem
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 […]
Digging Into Summer Break with the High School Farm Team
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 […]
