LYNN — A new community farm at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute will give residents an opportunity to learn how to garden and grow fresh fruit and vegetables, which organizers hope will help to curb food insecurity in the city.
Kathleen Sykes, spokesperson for the Food Project, the nonprofit organization spearheading the effort, said the group had been looking for a new space since the site that housed its community garden on Munroe Street was sold two years ago and later developed into an apartment building.
Construction kicked off at Lynn Tech last month and was deemed complete about a week ago. Working with shovels and rakes, Food Project youth and staff spread 100 tons of gravel and 360 cubic yards of nutrient-rich soil, which will serve as the foundation for a multi-cultural, multi-generational community growing space.
In addition, raised garden beds were formed with the use of a Bobcat rental, which community members interested in gardening at the site will be able to apply for, Sykes said.
“People are super excited about it,” said Sykes. “It’s a chance for people to grow their own food, which will help address food access issues. It will give people autonomy over what they eat. It will help people eat healthier and will also give people an opportunity to grow things that maybe they can’t find at the market that are central to the cuisine of wherever they came from.”
The Food Project has been farming in Lynn for 15 years, an effort the organization said has included delivering sustainably grown produce to local families through affordable farmers’ markets, local food business partnerships, and food donations.
Established in 1991, the organization describes its mission as bringing together youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to grow healthy food for communities in need while working to improve local food systems.
“The Food Project believes that fresh food is a right for all people,” the organization said in a statement. “They also believe that the diverse communities, such as Lynn, should have access to produce that reflects their rich cultural roots.
“With a farm right on the Lynn Tech campus, The Food Project can grow more culturally diverse crops for distribution and offer space for residents to grow the varieties that they love for their own families.”
Sykes said the new farm at Lynn Tech will provide neighbors with access to growing spaces that were not available to them before, will give students a chance to partner with the Food Project, and will allow the organization to grow more culturally relevant crops, which will be distributed by their partner, Ernie’s Harvest Time.
Lynn Tech Principal Carissa Karakaedos first approached the Food Project’s Urban Agriculture Manager Jenn Coverdale with the idea for a new farm on the school grounds in February 2019. A partnership was eventually formed, which will create an opportunity for Lynn Tech students to get involved with the farm as well.
Although The Food Project does not necessarily work with the Lynn Public Schools, the new farm at Lynn Tech represents another collaboration between the two entities. The Food Project maintains another farm at Ingalls Elementary School and helps run a salad initiative in the school district, Sykes said.
“We’ve heard from a lot of people in the neighborhoods around Lynn Tech who want urban growing space and are excited to work with them and make the most of this new community asset,” said John Wang, the Food Project’s North Shore regional director. “We’re also looking forward to providing more community growing space for Lynn residents, particularly when food insecurity is on the rise.”
