Farmer Spotlight Rachael Walton
December 16, 2024
Gaining Ground farmer Rachael Walton shares her views on regenerative agriculture, how she was able to align her career with her values, and the growth she’s seen at Gaining Ground.
Explore: Farming
Free Workshop: No-Till Hand-Scale Farming
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 […]
A Big Picture Look at Gaining Ground’s Farming Practices
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 […]
Growing Foods That Comfort and Connect
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 […]
Making a Good Plan
• 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, […]
Local Farms and Resilience: The No-Till Experiment
January 12, 2023 • Gaining Ground
Eric Toensmeier, of Project Drawdown, writes, “We can’t mitigate climate change without agriculture, so we have to find ways for agriculture to be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.” How can local farms play a role in the solution? Two area farms—Gaining Ground in Concord and The Good Food Farm in Ashby—have embarked on […]
Taking a Closer Look: Crop Pest and Disease Surveillance with Manan Arora
October 28, 2022 • 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 […]
Deepening Our Partnership with the Soil
June 29, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
The past two years have been a picture-perfect lesson in why our relationship with the land we cultivate is one of ongoing commitment and learning. A drought in 2020, followed by extraordinary heat and rain in 2021, took their toll on farms across New England—and Gaining Ground was no exception. We watched as our farm […]
Energized by Mulch!
April 14, 2022 • Anna Kelchlin, Farm Manager
In the life of a farmer, as much as deep winter is for reflection and quiet, it is also a time of intricate planning, preparations, and dreaming. Those long days of summer light are so far off, yet in just a short couple of months a rebirth will be upon us. This season I am […]