by Sister Anna Gilbert-Muhammed
The first few weeks of spring bring some showers, changes in temperatures (going upward, thankfully!) and activity in the gardens. For NOFA/Mass’s Food Access Team, that means community gardens are starting to come alive and families continue to partake in farm raised foods.
This edition of the newsletter includes updates on the community gardens, as well as a Farm Shares program that shares local farm food with families around the state.
Tapley Garden Starts to Come Alive
The youth leaders from Tapley Garden have prepared for the growing season all winter. They’ve been planning planting timelines, and speaking with families from Tapley Court Apartments about what they want in the garden.
The youth team are also looking forward to unveiling their value-added products made from crops from the garden. We’re in the third & final year of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ Specialty Crops grant, which has sponsored a value-added products development project for the youth leaders. In addition to working on perfecting their trademark salsa, herbal teas and herb-infused honey may join the lineup! Keep an eye-out for those.
Additionally, this year, we’ll be putting a larger focus on soil health. We’ll be measuring soil fungal matter, increasing (and identifying) microbes in the soil, and developing plant ferments for natural pest management.
During the growing season, look for small community events featuring garden cooking demonstrations and soil health events at Tapley Garden.
The Food Access Program Activities welcome volunteers throughout the year. For more information, or to give a donation, please contact Sis. Anna Muhammad, Food Access Director via email: [email protected].
Farm Share Program Update
NOFA/Mass is proud to be part of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources Local Food Purchase Assistance Plus (LFPA Plus) program. This program provides funding to bring nourishing produce from local farms to 375 families in underserved communities around the state. The program was extended in the winter of 2023 & 2024.
Two wonderful distribution sites, Finca Luna Buho in the Berkshires, and the Indian Orchard Citizen’s Council returned to the project.
Additionally, NOFA/Mass was introduced to a new local BIPOC farmer, Hameed Bello, who runs AgricOrganics in Wilbraham, MA. AgricOrganics partnered with the Indian Orchard Citizen’s Council to provide 25 families with farm shares for the Winter and Spring in 2024. The shares included classic winter produce such as potatoes, carrots and radishes.
Maria Roy, the Volunteer Coordinator and Farm Share Coordinator for IOCC was very happy to be able to include 25 new families. She said, “it was really great to participate during the summer and to now include a winter share for new families that come from Indian Orchard, is really exciting”
Hameed Bello shares in the excitement and really enjoys watching the families use and pick up the produce. “It is really a good feeling to watch the families pick up the produce every week”.
