Explore: Staff and Farm Crew

Meet This Year’s Farm Team: Avery Indermaur

Our 2021 farm crew is flush with knowledgeable, talented, and overall delightful human beings. At Gaining Ground, we believe good things are meant to be shared, so we want to take the opportunity to introduce you to this year’s team, one member at a time.  Let’s get started with Field Crew Member Avery Indermaur. Avery, […]

Meet This Year’s Farm Team: Ava Lublin

Our 2021 farm crew is flush with knowledgeable, talented, and overall delightful human beings. At Gaining Ground, we believe good things are meant to be shared, so we want to take the opportunity to introduce you to this year’s team, one member at a time.  Let’s get to know Field Crew Member Ava Lublin. Ava, […]

Getting to Know Gaining Ground’s New Farm Manager, Anna Kelchlin

What drew you to farming? When and how did you start farming?  Initially, what drew me to farming was the fact that I didn’t really understand where my food came from and I was curious about our food system, which I have come to learn is in a sense our healthcare system. In 2012, I […]

2021 Staff and Board News

In tumultuous times, we are more grateful than ever for the dedication of our board of directors and staff. Their talents and skills have helped Gaining Ground achieve record-breaking harvests year after year, and have enabled us to strive to meet rising food insecurity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the end of 2020, we […]

We’re Hiring! Farm Manager

Gaining Ground is looking for an exceptional candidate to fill the role of farm manager. The farm manager will possess significant experience with and knowledge of no-till, organic vegetable production, a demonstrated aptitude in managing a team of farmers and engaging with more than 2,500 annual volunteers, and a healthy, self-motivated work ethic. We are […]

Time for Soil Tests! Learn How.

September is the time for testing soils for maximum benefit.


Check out this video where Farm Manager Doug Wolcik explains the reasons for taking soil samples and then demonstrates how to do so with a variety of tools. Your garden soils will be healthier if you follow his guidance!


Celebrating our Staff

Each year Gaining Ground hosts a lunch for staff and farmers to recognize them for the work they do every day for our recipients. While the setup was very different this year, the sentiment remained the same. The lunch was kicked off with Executive Director Jennifer Johnson thanking the staff and farmers for their adaptability […]

Meet Our Awesome 2020 Staff

During this unusual season without our valued volunteers, we are especially grateful to have a strong, experienced staff. Our farm staff has a total of 42 years of combined farming experience with Doug Wolcik, Hannah Lawson, and Kim Schmidt returning from last year and Kari Bender, Stacy Entel, Anna Kelchlin, and Max Spurlin joining from […]

Change Is a Constant on the Farm

To work on a farm is to expect change of all kinds, some that we create on purpose, and some that are mysteries that unfold and surprise us throughout the year. We are subject to the weather, yet we design schedules and plans for planting and harvesting crops. We study and ameliorate the soil, then […]

Our New Executive Director

After a thoughtful months-long search, with participation from board members and staff, we are excited to announce Gaining Ground’s new executive director, Jennifer Johnson.  Jennifer was the director of development and outreach at The Nature Connection in Concord during the four years that I was at the Community Chest. I admired her enthusiastic and engaging […]

We’re Hiring! 2020 Field Crew Positions

Update: All 2020 positions have been filled. Thank you for your interest. Gaining Ground is a 3 acre non-profit, no-till, organic farm in Concord, MA that grows produce for 13 hunger relief organizations alongside community volunteers. In the 2019 growing season we grew over 125,00 pounds of produce with the help of 2,500 volunteers, supplying 750 […]

We Put It Down on Paper

In celebration of its 25th year, Gaining Ground has published a book chronicling the organization’s history and growth—from a visionary garden project in 1994 to a highly productive farm that now donates more than 120,000 pounds of food in a season. In Gaining Ground: The Story of a Community Growing Food and Giving It All Away, the farm’s history comes to life […]

Farmers Lunch

I remember being informed about farm lunches on my first day at Gaining Ground last year. Farmers, I was told, would take turns cooking lunch for the team each week. I’m certain I was informed of this during the interview, but had since forgotten and now found myself quite nervous about it all. I had […]

The Power of Purpose

As a new season begins at Gaining Ground, we are in the wonderful position of staffing our office and fields with talented and knowledgeable professionals who are returning for another year. In the eight years that I have been involved, I don’t think we have ever had so many people returning. We are set up […]

A Salute to Paula

After a dozen years working with Gaining Ground farm staff and volunteers, Paula Jordan has decided to redirect her time and talents this season. Her welcoming smile and encouraging guidance will be missed on a daily basis. Paula joined Gaining Ground in 2007, when the farm had less land, fewer volunteers, and only the pavilion […]

Gaining Ground’s 2019 Staff

We are delighted to have so many familiar faces on the crew again in 2019: Doug Wolcik, Hannah Lawson, Jared Kimler, Kim Schmidt, and Grace Shields are all returning. Kate Hudec, a former volunteer, is a welcome new addition. In the office, Amy Capofreddi, Fan Watkinson, and Allison Goodwin continue to juggle the behind-the-scenes logistics […]

Leadership in the Field

Gaining Ground’s no-till practice is garnering attention: the organization is one of nine organic farms selected to participate in a three-year USDA Conservation Innovation Grant. The $170,000 grant was awarded to Northeast Organic Farmers Associations (NOFA) of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The goal of the project is […]

A Healthy Farm Culture

Board member Linda Booth Sweeney received a poignant piece by Wendell Berry from Schumacher Center for New Economics, with its mission to envision a just and sustainable global economy; apply the concepts locally; then share the results for broad replication. This writing seems relevant to the work at Gaining Ground while we address hunger relief. A culture […]
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