Explore: Recipients

Fresh Food for Strong Beginnings:  Community Teamwork/Head Start

May 29, 2024 • Danielle Capalbo, Communications & Development Manager
Just like a seed needs the right combination of soil, water, and sunlight to grow into a strong, healthy plant, young children need vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to grow into strong, healthy individuals. That’s why Community Teamwork in Lowell has partnered with Gaining Ground since 2014 to provide Head Start students and their families with […]

From the Field: Freshness Matters, and Other Lessons from Partner Visits

September 27, 2023
When peak season subsides at Gaining Ground, we remain busy and productive—including making autumn visits to our hunger relief partners.  These 16+ organizations provide a connection between the farm and the community, by distributing organic produce from Gaining Ground to thousands of people experiencing food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts. September visits have included the Bedford […]

Putting Choice Front and Center: Loaves & Fishes

July 27, 2023
Food is a common thread that connects us to one another and to our larger community. At Gaining Ground, we believe that consistent access to nutritious, ethically-grown, and culturally-relevant food is a necessity and a right. It is critical to us that the fruits and vegetables that we grow reach the members of our community […]

Adapting to Meet Rising Need: The Bedford Food Bank

June 27, 2023 • 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 […]

Adding Winter Microgreens to the Mix

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 […]

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 […]

A Farm That Yields Much More Than Food

• 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 […]

Our Thanksgiving Distribution Brings Winter Food Insecurity into Focus

November 21, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
On Saturday, we held our annual pre-Thanksgiving distribution of fresh, organic produce in Concord. In coordination with Concord and Carlisle’s Councils on Aging and Community Services, we use this final Food for Families market to give away hefty amounts of nutritious greens and storage crops to more than 100 households experiencing food insecurity.  At this […]

Partner Spotlight: Eastie Farm

October 28, 2022 • 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 […]

Culturally Considerate: Growing Crops that Our Clients Want

September 29, 2022 • Erin Espinosa, Assistant Farm Manager
Smells of molé simmering on the stove. Red chiles decorating the walls. A bloated belly from cheesy dishes. These are a few of my favorite food memories.  Food connects us to our ancestors. Our spirits crave the foods our ancestors grew and ate. I am a white Mexican-American reconnecting with my ancestors through food and […]

Persistence, Planning, and Teamwork Pay Off in a Season of Drought

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 […]

Women’s Lunch Place: Growing Community Wellness Through Food, Fun, and Education

July 27, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Having a conversation with a talented chef about meals cooked from scratch with farm-fresh ingredients is a surefire way to jumpstart your appetite. “Yesterday I had garlic scapes, we also got pea shoots, and then some spinach. I blended it all together—then I added a couple of magical ingredients—and it’s just this really beautiful herby […]

The Abundance of Four Seasons

April 14, 2022 • Allison Goodwin, Program Manager
Each season at Gaining Ground brings challenges as well as successes; rewarding reminders of the impact and importance of our hunger-relief mission. Foremost among these in 2021 was the return of our volunteer program after a pandemic-driven hiatus. The joy of those first April volunteers was undeniable in their warm smiles, rolled-up sleeves, and dirt-caked […]

As Food Costs Rise, Gaining Ground Continues Winter Harvests for Hunger Relief

March 3, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
This winter has proved to be an especially harsh one for people experiencing food insecurity.  Supply chain woes and labor shortages left the shelves at some grocery stores sparsely stocked. Food prices are the highest they’ve been in years, making it more difficult for folks to afford the food they need. As a result, more […]

Learning from Our Partners: Food Insecurity in 2021

December 19, 2021 • Gaining Ground
Throughout the harvest season, produce from Gaining Ground goes to meal programs, food pantries, schools, and shelters in Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. Some of these dedicated organizations use our food to prepare and distribute free meals for people who need them. Others give our vegetables, herbs, and fruit away as part of providing free […]

With Food Costs Rising, Hunger Relief Can Start With Storage

November 30, 2021 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
On a bright, warm November afternoon two weeks ago, the Gaining Ground team gathered in front of the barn—some of us wearing t-shirts in the midday sun that filtered through the treetops along the edge of the farm. We set out hefty boxes and bags of harvested vegetables and got to work assembling and filling […]

Partner Spotlight: House of Hope

• Gaining Ground
For November, we’re taking the opportunity to catch up with our recipient partner House of Hope, which runs programs and permanent housing services with the goal of ending homelessness in Lowell. They do this through a commitment to transitioning families experiencing homelessness into greater social and economic stability.  As a part of their work, they […]

In Full Bloom: A Closer Look at Gaining Ground’s Flowers

October 25, 2021 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager
Through the hot, dry days of June, soggy gray days of July, and all the way into October, the flowers at Gaining Ground were a feast of color and light. Heaps of zinnias fluttered in the breeze, waving intense blooms of purples, golden yellows, and stunning coral reds. Tall stands of verbena, with bright green […]

Partner Spotlight: Healthy Waltham

• Gaining Ground
This month we paused to catch up with our recipient partner Healthy Waltham, which promotes collaborative approaches to improving the health and wellness of under-resourced populations in Waltham. They do this through programs that increase access to healthy foods, provide nutrition education, and create opportunities for physical activity.  We spoke with Operations Director Maria DiMaggio […]
1 2 3

Archives