EVERETT COMMUNITY GROWERS INC

EVERETT COMMUNITY GROWERS (ECG) IS THE SOLE ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOOD JUSTICE IN EVERETT, MA. WE BEGAN IN 2010 AS A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING INITIATIVE OF DIVERSE EVERETT RESIDENTS WHO HAD NO SPACE TO GROW FOOD AT HOME, AND WORKED TO CREATE EVERETT'S FIRST COMMUNITY GARDEN, THE FLORENCE STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN IN 2012. OUR SECOND COMMUNITY GARDEN, TREMONT STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN (2015) WAS CREATED AFTER A COMMUNITY-LED LAND ASSESSMENT REVEALED A CITY OWNED PARCEL SUITABLE FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE, SPURRING NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCACY TO CREATE A GARDEN FROM AN UNDERUSED PLOT OF LAND. IN 2016, WE LAUNCHED THE NORTHERN STRAND COMMUNITY FARM (NSCF) AND IN 2018, WE LAUNCHED A YOUTH CREW, WHICH IS NOW A FLAGSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDING LIVING WAGE JOBS, SKILLS TRAINING THROUGH A FOOD JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CURRICULUM, AND FRESH, LOCAL AFFORDABLE PRODUCE TO LOWER-INCOME EVERETT RESIDENTS. WE COMPLETED A CITYWIDE COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT IN 20172018 AND LAUNCHED A MUNICIPAL FOOD POLICY COUNCIL IN 2021. ALSO IN 2021 WE STARTED THE BROADWAY FARM IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, AND SINCE THEN, ALL FOOD GROWN AT OUR FARMS HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED THROUGH FARMSTANDS AND ORDER-AHEAD PICKUPS, WITH EMPHASIS ON REACHING LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS USING SNAP, HIP, WIC, AND SENIOR FARMERS MARKET COUPONS; THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM; AND DONATED TO LOCAL FAMILIES. IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE TRUST WE HAVE BUILT WITH RESIDENTS OVER THE YEARS, ECG IS ALSO GROWING OUR WORK WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS AND RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF RESIDENTS, SUCH AS EXTREME WEATHER, AIR QUALITY, GREEN GENTRIFICATION AND HOUSING INSECURITY. FROM THIS WORK WE FORMED A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY TEAM (CEAT) IN 2023 THAT HAS HAD OUTSIZE IMPACT IN LOCAL ORGANIZING EFFORTS.IN 2024 WE HARVESTED 1,256 LBS OF PRODUCE AT OUR FARMS AND DISTRIBUTED IT BY:1. SELLING 805 LBS AT FARMSTANDS, ORDER AHEAD PICKUPS AND TO OUR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM:A. 233 LBS SOLD AT 3 MONTHLY FARMS STANDSB. 347 LBS SOLD AT 9 WEEKLY ORDER AHEAD PICKUPSC. 225 LBS SOLD TO EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOOD SERVICE PROVIDER, WHITSONS (WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL WINNING THE "TERRIFIC TRAY" AWARD FROM THE MA MA DEPARTMENT OF EARLY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (DESE) IN THE FALL OF 2024)2. DONATING 451 LBS TO LOCAL FAMILIESSTAFF LEADERSHIP: THE MAJORITY OF OUR STAFF (OF WHICH IN 2024 THERE ARE 4 FULL TIME YEAR ROUND, 2 PART TIME YEAR ROUND, AND UP TO 12 SEASONAL) ARE LONG-TIME EVERETT RESIDENTS, AND THOSE WHO RESIDE IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES CALL EVERETT THEIR SECOND HOME. MOST ADULT STAFF ARE PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN THE EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHILE YOUTH STAFF ARE EVERETT STUDENTS.CORE COMMUNITY: OUR CORE COMMUNITY INCLUDES OUR YOUTH CREW, OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN GROWERS, FARMSTAND CUSTOMERS, WORKSHOP ATTENDEES, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT + ADVOCACY TEAM MEMBERS. OUR YOUTH CREW IS COMPOSED OF BETWEEN 6 AND 10 EVERETT RESIDENTS AGES 15-20, MOST FROM MULTI-LINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL FAMILIES. THEY ARE SEASONAL AND YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYEES WHO WORK AT OUR FARM, CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ORGANIZING, PARTICIPATE IN (AND OFTEN LEAD) WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING AROUND SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURE, HOUSING JUSTICE, AND CLIMATE JUSTICE. IN RESPONSE TO A STUDENT-LED FARM TO SCHOOL ACTION PLAN THAT ECG CO-LED IN 2023, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH WHITSONS SCHOOL NUTRITION AND THE EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE PRODUCE FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES TO EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS, LOCALLY PRODUCED MEALS FOR YOUTH. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ALSO ASSISTED WITH THE EXECUTION OF A "WHAT IS A SCHOOL COMMITTEE?" STUDENT AND PARENT WORKSHOP WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE (MEJA) AND LA COMUNIDAD, INC. IN 2024. OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN GROWERS ARE 40 EVERETT FAMILIES THAT SPEAK 6 LANGUAGES BETWEEN 2 COMMUNITY GARDENS. THE MAJORITY ARE LOWER-INCOME RENTER, MULTI-LINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL HOUSEHOLDS, AND HAVE BEEN AT THEIR COMMUNITY GARDEN FOR 5+ YEARS. MANY ARE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS FORMS OF ECG ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING WORK. OUTREACH FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN MEMBERSHIP IS PROMOTED LOCALLY IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, BUT MOST COME TO US BY WORD OF MOUTH FROM OTHER GROWERS. WE HOLD EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS AT THE GARDEN SITES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON ON VARIOUS TOPICS (E.G., SEED SAVING, POLLINATORS, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, SOIL HEALTH, ETC.) AND ENCOURAGE EXPERIENCED GROWERS TO LEAD THESE WORKSHOPS AS THEY ARE ABLE. FARMSTAND CUSTOMERS (OF WHICH THERE WERE 85 IN 2024) ARE LARGELY LOCAL RESIDENTS, AND WHILE OUR FARMSTAND IS OPEN TO ALL, WE TAKE SPECIAL CARE TO FOCUS OUTREACH TO SNAP/HIP, EBT, WIC AND SENIOR FARMERS' MARKET COUPON RECIPIENTS. ALL COMMUNICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE 4 MAIN LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN EVERETT (ENGLISH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE AND HAITIAN CREOLE), AND FEEDBACK IS REGULARLY COLLECTED AND USED TO INFORM AND IMPROVE OUR WORK. WE HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH MULTIPLE MODELS (E.G., $5 AND $10 BAGS, ORDER AHEAD OPTIONS). WE OFTEN USE THE FARMSTAND AS A JUMPING OFF POINT FOR DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS GOING ON IN THE CITY, OR TO SURVEY RESIDENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOPICS, SUCH AS THEIR EXPERIENCES OF THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IN EVERETT. MANY RESIDENTS INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS HAVE SHOWN THEIR COMMITMENT TO AND PASSION FOR CREATING RESIDENT-LED SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUES IMPACTING THEM MOST, AND ARE LEARNING THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO ADVOCATE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2024 WE HAVE 8 RESIDENTS WORKING WITH US THROUGH OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT + ADVOCACY TEAM (CEAT), TO CONTINUE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES THEY PRIORITIZED IN 2023. MANY OF OUR CEAT MEMBERS HAVE FACILITATED WORKSHOPS IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND IN 2025 ARE WORKING TOWARDS ESTABLISHING RESIDENT-LED WORKING GROUPS WITHIN THE TEAM AND CREATING A POLICY ADVOCACY STRATEGY TO COINCIDE WITH LOCAL ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER. WE HELD 14 WORKSHOPS IN 2024 WHICH WERE CONSISTENTLY ATTENDED BY ABOUT 35 PEOPLE, AND THE CEAT PARTICIPATED IN 16 OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS HELD BY COMMUNITY PARTNERS (E.G., FLOOD IMPACT COMMITTEE MEETINGS).