Help Grow Food for Hunger Relief

Gaining Ground is a non-profit, no-till, organic farm. At our flagship farm and satellite fields we actively cultivate 6 acres of land to grow over 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in fields interspersed with perennial hedgerows. We produce for 16 hunger relief organizations with the help of a community of volunteers and donate 100% of the food we grow. In the 2024 growing season we grew over 133,000 pounds of produce, supplying more than 2,100 food-insecure households each week in the Greater Boston region. We welcomed over 3,800 volunteers of all ages and abilities to the farm this past season.

From April to October, we welcome volunteers Wednesday through Saturday each week for 2 hour volunteer sessions. Our community of volunteers is broad-based, often including:

• Individuals ages 15 and up volunteering independently
• Families with children ages 5 years old and up
• Education groups: schools, colleges, alumni, homeschool coops
• Faith-based groups
• Community groups: scouts, camps, senior citizens, civic organizations
• Special needs groups
• Corporate teams

When you arrive, you walk out through the fields to our volunteer pavilion. You are welcomed by one of our experienced farmers and given an introduction to Gaining Ground and our hunger-relief role. Our staff explain what’s going on at the farm and the tasks they’ve lined up, based on the the skills and abilities of that day’s volunteers. Then, you work alongside the farmers -- planting, mulching, cultivating, harvesting, weeding, tarping, washing... At the end of your visit, our farm staff returns with you to the pavilion to share observations and experiences.

• *Important: if you are interested in volunteering with us, please sign up directly at this link: https:// gainingground.org/volunteer/ sign-up-to-volunteer/. Thank you!***