Explore: Farm Update
May 30, 2023 • 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 • 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 […]
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 […]
February 27, 2023 • Anna Kelchlin, Farm Manager
I am excited to share with you my crop planning process, which brings me boundless joy during these colder months. Winter provides a time for a slower pace, and dreaming about the growth of the next season! Crop planning is a complex process that involves both artistic and scientific approaches, especially because we work the […]
• Gaining Ground
At Gaining Ground, we are grateful for the diverse, insightful, and compassionate voices and perspectives that support and guide the farm. We are thrilled to welcome Katie Bekel to our board of directors and to take this opportunity to learn a bit more about the newest member of the Gaining Ground team. How did you […]
December 21, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Winter is officially here and although the pace on the farm has eased, our harvests don’t take a holiday this time of year. We’ve continued to distribute crops like arugula, bok choy, carrots, mustard greens, and spinach this month, and will continue to do so throughout the season. Winter farming is critical to our efforts […]
• Polly Vanasse, Board President
As Paul Simon sang to me yesterday, “Make a new plan, Stan.” Every five or so years, Gaining Ground is tasked with creating a new strategic plan. It’s an opportunity for the board of directors and the staff to steer the organization toward ambitious goals and new horizons. Our latest plan, formally adopted in November […]
October 28, 2022 • David Salomón Saleh
Five years ago I accepted the responsibility of taking care of the honey bee colonies at Gaining Ground. At that time, I was looking for opportunities to learn more about beekeeping in the northern hemisphere and about sustainable agriculture. I was hooked as soon as I learned about the farm’s hunger-relief mission, and felt lucky […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
When we talk with our hunger-relief partner Eastie Farm about their work over the past year, the first thing they mention is the need. The need for better access to affordable food in East Boston. The need for fresh, organic produce. The need for equitable opportunities for health and well-being. “There is one grocery store […]
This year marks Assistant Farm Manager Erin Espinosa’s second season with Gaining Ground. Erin brings with her an incredible depth of knowledge and experience, as well as the kind of enthusiasm and attention to detail that help keep the farm humming along at all times of year. What has it been like to work on […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
There was an extra set of eyes looking over the crops at Gaining Ground this season. Moving meticulously down the pathways and through the beds, Manan Arora crouched with his clipboard in hand, peeking under eggplants, turning over cabbage leaves, and inspecting cucumber plants. This summer, Manan worked as a crop disease and pest scout […]
September 29, 2022
If you’ve visited the farm this season, you’ve likely noticed that the structures look fastidiously cared for and the areas of lawn are immaculate. We have Groundskeeper Geoff Nelson to thank for this. Since starting on the farm in the spring, Geoff has worked diligently to keep the farm looking beautiful and functioning smoothly so […]
• Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Every year, Gaining Ground welcomes a team of local high school students who volunteer in the fields during their summer vacation. They learn and work alongside our farmers under the scorching sun and the pummeling rain, preparing the soil, transplanting seedlings, hand-weeding vegetable beds, and harvesting nutrient-dense produce for hunger relief. Throughout the 2022 season, […]
September 14, 2022
The details: What: A new fall educational farm tour Where: Gaining Ground, 341 Virginia Road in Concord When: Thursday, October 6, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. How: RSVP to rsvp@gainingground.org As the cold season approaches, the farm begins the process of winterizing our fields and following practices to extend the growing season in order […]
August 29, 2022 • Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
Last August we wished desperately for dry, sunny days to soak up the standing rainwater in the fields, help our heat-loving summer crops grow, and alleviate the disease and pest pressure caused by days of unending rain. This year, our hopes shift instead to more rain (please, more rain!) as all of Massachusetts weathers an […]
• Gaining Ground
After two years on our high school Farm Team and another season with us as a farmer, Field Crew Member Ava Lublin returned to Gaining Ground again this season. And we’re so thankful she did. Ava, what did you get up to in the farming off-season from Sept. through May? I attended my first year […]
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