ABOUT

Growing Places envisions a thriving community-based food system that nourishes every member and the Earth.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to actively engage in the North Central MA regional food system and strengthen community capacity to transform that system.

GOALS

Working with individuals, families, non-profit organizations, farmers, businesses, schools and public agencies, we aim to:

  • Make fresh, healthy food more accessible, affordable and widely consumed
  • Improve physical, mental and emotional well-being
  • Build skills, knowledge and confidence to grow and prepare fresh, healthy food sustainably
  • Foster neighborhood pride and enjoyment
  • Increase social and interpersonal connections
  • Build community leadership skills
  • Build healthy habits and lifestyle skills

STRATEGIES

We promote healthy people and healthy communities by:

  • Teaching and advocating sustainable growing, preparation and consumption of food
  • Gathering data, stories and practices to build knowledge of our community
  • Creating opportunities and engaging a varied group of stakeholders to support our work, including as program participants, volunteers, leaders, partners, donors, and investors
  • Facilitating direct-to-consumer sales of affordable and healthy food, and encouraging the use and availability of federal nutrition programs
  • Teaching and promoting environmentally healthy and sustainable living practices
  • Assuming leadership in the promotion of regional food access strategies
  • Designing and implementing strategies and systems to secure and sustain the financial and human resources to serve our mission

OUR IMPACT

Click here to read our 2023 Annual Report

Annual Report 2023 (3)

OUR HISTORY

In 2001, Harvard, Massachusetts, residents Kate Deyst and Cindy Buhner heard the story of Dan Barker and were inspired to launch the Growing Places Garden Project. Dan Barker, founder of the Home Gardening Project Foundation, began donating raised-bed vegetable gardens to people in need in the Portland, Oregon area in 1984. Kate and Cindy believed they could bring the power of gardening to communities in Central Massachusetts. In their first season, they built five gardens, using their own tools and hard work. Since that modest beginning, Growing Places has created more than 450 gardens and provided technical support to more than 1,500 low-income people in North Central Massachusetts. Organizationally, GP has successfully matured beyond its founding board and unpaid volunteer staff. We are led by a dynamic, community based board of directors. Today the organization is supported by a professional staff and hundreds of dedicated volunteers.