On Friday, July 11, the city of Boston inaugurated the first Boston farm authorized by Article 89, a new zoning provision to promote commercial urban agriculture. The empty lot will be farmed by the Urban Farming Institute of Boston, an enthusiastic group of young people eager to grow vegetables for the neighborhood. Their director Patricia Spence said that a goal was “to teach our youngest that potatoes do not come from McDonald’s!" The farmland owner will be Dudley Neighbors, Inc. and its director is Harry Smith, former staff member at Farm Aid.
Farm Aid staff Cornelia Hoskin, Jennifer Wehunt and I joined the cheering Garrison-Trotter neighbors in celebration as Mayor Marty Walsh picked up a shovel and broke ground. The mayor noted that, “Working on a farm, you get an understanding of how important healthy food is, of where healthy food comes from."
As a long-time resident in the neighborhood, I look forward to walking just a few blocks over to the Garrison-Trotter Farm to see my local farm take root and grow.
Activists and farmers
Farm Aid staff members Jennifer Wehunt and Cornelia Hoskin
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and John Barros, Chief of Economic Development
