City Growers, Urban Farming Institute of Boston and the MA Department of Agricultural Resources
City Growers - City Growers’ mission is to transform vacant lots in Boston into intensive urban farms that are economically and environmentally sustainable. Their goals include:
- Creating employment for community members at livable wages
- Addressing food security issues by increasing local agricultural production capacity
- Increasing local access to affordable, nutrient-rich foods
City Growers is contributing to the new green economy in communities where economic revitalization is needed most. In the coming years, they will create a checkerboard of productive green space in Boston’s inner city where local growing talent thrives.
The Urban Farming Institute of Boston (UFI) is an organization founded to support the development of urban farming - the growing of agricultural products for income. UFI's mission is rooted in advocacy, training, research and development, education and economic development. It is UFI's goal to cultivate smart, healthy and sustainable communities and cities by promoting and creating self-sustaining urban farming enterprises and farming careers. By enabling urban farming through land trusts, farm creation, farmer training and networking, public education and policy change, UFI advances people in urban neighborhoods to become emerging key leaders in local food system production. UFI programs provide positive environmental, economic and social impact.
MA Department of Agricultural Resources – MDAR’s mission is to ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Conservation & Technical Assistance, Agricultural Markets, Animal Health, and Crop and Pest Services – MDAR strives to support, regulate and enhance the rich diversity of the Commonwealth’s agricultural community to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production.