Part 1 – Shadowing Adrienne

Hello fellow farming enthusiasts, my name is Dan and I am one of the new Business and Administrative interns at Green City Growers. I just finished my second year at Northeastern University majoring in EnvironmentalScience and minoring in Physics and Mathematics. Given my major and minors, most of my classes at Northeastern are centered around science and learning the fundamentals of each given subject. When I was looking for summer/fall internships last winter, I wanted a job that would not only give me experience in multiple aspects of a company but would also focus on the more business side of things (being that I will probably never get to take a business class in school and what better way to get the knowledge). So, long story short, here I am at Green City […]]]> Part 1 – Shadowing Adrienne

Hello fellow farming enthusiasts, my name is Dan and I am one of the new Business and Administrative interns at Green City Growers. I just finished my second year at Northeastern University majoring in EnvironmentalScience and minoring in Physics and Mathematics. Given my major and minors, most of my classes at Northeastern are centered around science and learning the fundamentals of each given subject. When I was looking for summer/fall internships last winter, I wanted a job that would not only give me experience in multiple aspects of a company but would also focus on the more business side of things (being that I will probably never get to take a business class in school and what better way to get the knowledge). So, long story short, here I am at Green City Growers!

Thus far most of my work has been centered around becoming familiar with the business, running some social media and going on adventures to Cambridge in pursuit of Sharpie markers. Yesterday though, I got to shadow one of our urban farmers, Adrienne, and see what it was like to be part of the horticultural team!

Our first trip was to Abt Associates to help the team harvest and maintain their garden. Abt is a member of our employee wellness program which strives to promote healthy eating at the workplace and all around happiness of the employees. We arrived in our rugged Green City Growers truck, wearing our dirty sneakers and ripped jeans and when we entered, we emerged into Abt’s clean, professional environment I felt a little out of place. We made our way through the office building like some foreign species in a wild forest carrying our oversized buckets and carts spilling over with kale and eggplant. Eventually we came to the back door which lead to an awesomely lush green area in the center of the office building. It was this super cool coexistence between office space (where you could literally see dozens of suits and ties typing on their desktops) and an abundant green area with a pond and geese and ducklings and, of course, a half dozen raised beds filled with lavish produce.

Upon our arrival to the green space, we were greeted by a bunch of office workers who were eager to help us garden. Our plan: harvest, weed, plant, fertilize, maintain. Seemed pretty simple to me, I knew all those words. When I was walking around looking for some kale to pick, I overheard some conversations between the coworkers, two girls in their 20’s.

“Oh is this your first time out here?”

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to come out here and it’s really a lot more relaxing and fun than I thought.”

These two girls continued to work and harvest, sometimes screaming at the bugs, sometimes gasping about how cool the radishes were. It was cool to see because these girls who are the same age, have the same interests and work in the same office building, have never spoken to each other or met each other before, yet here they are, harvesting and planting and laughing together.

After some time had passed and some pressing conversation about what crops to planted next had concluded, the workers made some to-go bags with produce that they wanted to take home. Again, I overheard a conversation between one of the 20 year old girls and a woman who seemed as though she was an ABT veteran.

“What’s your name?”

“Debra.”

“Oh yeah I’ve seen your name on a lot of budget proposals, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name!”

Just hearing that made me step back a little bit and take this whole experience in.  These two women, who work together on projects for their company, have never even met before. This garden, which seems so simple and so linear, has so many unforeseen, immeasurable benefits. Yes these gardens produce awesome food, yes these gardens spruce up the workplace, yes these gardens supply activities and a release for the employees of the company, but there are also so many more intangible consequences. Six four by eight suare foot raised gardens have transformed these coworkers into friends and cohabitants into teammates.

Stay tuned for the second part of my day….

Green America has chosen the top ten finalists to be nominated for the Green Business People and Planet Award. Finalists have demonstrated an “overall green way of doing business, and also shine in their commitment to a sustainable food system”.

What better way to help Urban Farming than to take one second and VOTE FOR GCG! We need your help to win the Green America people and planet award, not to mention $5000. We need your help, friends!

You can vote for us here!

http://www.greenamerica.org/green-business-people-and-planet-award/

Ledge Kitchen and Drinks in Dorchester is set to begin its fourth growing season with Green City Growers. Ledge partnered with GCG and Recover Green Roofs of Somerville, MA to build a 5,000 square foot farm on the roof of their Dorchester restaurant, the largest installation of its kind in the city. It was completed in June 2010 and has been maintained by the farmers at Green City Growers ever since.

Ledge will enjoy the benefits of growing hard to find and otherwise expensive herbs and vegetables on their rooftop, providing the freshest cocktails in Boston. When asked about Ledge’s rooftop farm, General […]]]>

Dorchester Restaurant begins Its Fourth Growing Season on their 5,000 square foot rooftop farm, Others Expected to Follow

Ledge Kitchen and Drinks in Dorchester is set to begin its fourth growing season with Green City Growers. Ledge partnered with GCG and Recover Green Roofs of Somerville, MA to build a 5,000 square foot farm on the roof of their Dorchester restaurant, the largest installation of its kind in the city. It was completed in June 2010 and has been maintained by the farmers at Green City Growers ever since.

Ledge will enjoy the benefits of growing hard to find and otherwise expensive herbs and vegetables on their rooftop, providing the freshest cocktails in Boston. When asked about Ledge’s rooftop farm, General Manager John Comeau pointed out the produce could not get any fresher. “At Ledge, we are committed to providing our guests with the freshest ingredients available. Because we are able to serve produce picked right from our rooftop farm, which is visible from our outside patio area, we are bringing a whole new meaning to ‘local food’.”

Although it is becoming more commonplace for restaurants to advertise the minimal miles it took for their products to reach consumer’s plates, Ledge and a handful of other GCG clients can claim ultimate local bragging rights by measuring in mere feet. Local food, which is defined as produced within a 50-mile radius, is a growing industry in Massachusetts and around the world. Its growth is indicated by the increase in successful winter farmer’s markets offering produce year round, as well as the popular trend in “growing your own”.

Consumers are turning to local food for many reasons, including environmental stewardship, increased nutrition, and food safety. With the increase of popularity in local food comes benefits such as decreased energy for food transportation and storage and investment in the local economy (just to name a few).

Green City Growers is at the forefront of helping small business owners and consumers become more familiar with the many reasons to look for food produced locally. Their growing list of restaurant clients includes B. Good restaurants, Somerville Flatbread, Ula Café, and Ole Grille. The restaurant farms engage not only the staff that helps maintain the farm, but the customers enjoying the fresh vegetables. At Ledge, all rooftop products are indicated on the menu and many guests are getting a taste of the hyperlocal movement for the first time.

Green City Growers isn’t satisfied with introducing what they see as the new normal to just restaurants patrons. In their effort to cover the entire city with edible urban farms, no space is out of the question for growing as long as food can survive there. GCG works with residents, houses of worship, schools, and employee wellness programs to install gardens for as many people as possible. This summer, their work is being extended to a grocery store rooftop, and shoppers will soon be able to purchase the fresh grown produce directly in the store below.

The City of Somerville and Green City Growers (GCG), a local urban farming business, have teamed up to offer select applicants a four-week intensive training in urban agriculture. In return, the trainees will be expected to share their newfound skills by volunteering 30 hours in the Somerville community.

The UAAP was publicized to Somerville residents through The City of Somerville’s website and Green City Growers’ network. Organizers who reviewed the applications were impressed by both the number and quality of the UAAP applicants. Ultimately, the fifteen slots were reserved for those who would be true “ambassadors” […]]]>

The City of Somerville and Green City Growers (GCG), a local urban farming business, have teamed up to offer select applicants a four-week intensive training in urban agriculture. In return, the trainees will be expected to share their newfound skills by volunteering 30 hours in the Somerville community.

Boston is a city for innovators, and thanks to steadfast leadership from owner and co-founder Jessie Banhazl, Green City Growers is at the lead of the pack. Most recently, Jessie has been recognized as one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30: Boston’s Hottest Up-and-Comers.” This list highlights Boston food scene superstars, from presidents to managers to pop-up food truck chefs. Jessie, 28, co-created Green City Growers four years ago from the confines of her parents’ Wayland home. Since then, the company has grown beyond those initial walls to supply hundreds of clients in the Greater Boston Area with their own urban vegetable gardens.

Green City Growers is on the forefront of the Boston local food movement. Bostonians, as well as people all over, are […]]]> Owner Jessie Banhazl is one of Zagat’s top “30 Under 30″

Boston is a city for innovators, and thanks to steadfast leadership from owner and co-founder Jessie Banhazl, Green City Growers is at the lead of the pack. Most recently, Jessie has been recognized as one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30: Boston’s Hottest Up-and-Comers.” This list highlights Boston food scene superstars, from presidents to managers to pop-up food truck chefs. Jessie, 28, co-created Green City Growers four years ago from the confines of her parents’ Wayland home. Since then, the company has grown beyond those initial walls to supply hundreds of clients in the Greater Boston Area with their own urban vegetable gardens.

Green City Growers is on the forefront of the Boston local food movement. Bostonians, as well as people all over, are recognizing the innumerable environmental, human, and economic health benefits of locally sourced food. As a vegetable garden supplier and educator, Green City Growers propels this trend; we can thank Jessie’s leadership for putting us on the proverbial local food map.

What were you doing the last time you ate? Were you actually just eating? For many people, meals serve as a multi-purpose food-consuming/email-checking/news-reading/kid-taming session. But there is something to be gained from mindfully meditating on your food: where it comes from, who was involved in getting it to your table, and the energy that went into creating, transporting, and preparing it. As I found, clearing out mealtime distractions can help one reach multi-faceted satisfaction – mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Practicing such mindfulness every time one sits down to eat a meal contributes to what is known as mindful eating. Psychology Today describes it as “deliberately being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself, in your body, heart and mind and in your environment” […]]]> Appreciating Your Food to the Fullest

What were you doing the last time you ate? Were you actually just eating? For many people, meals serve as a multi-purpose food-consuming/email-checking/news-reading/kid-taming session. But there is something to be gained from mindfully meditating on your food: where it comes from, who was involved in getting it to your table, and the energy that went into creating, transporting, and preparing it. As I found, clearing out mealtime distractions can help one reach multi-faceted satisfaction – mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Practicing such mindfulness every time one sits down to eat a meal contributes to what is known as mindful eating. Psychology Today describes it as “deliberately being fully aware of what is happening both inside and outside yourself, in your body, heart and mind and in your environment” when you eat. It is eating without “criticism or judgement” (Bays 2009).

Firstly, contemplating the role of soil is crucial to appreciating food. Soil is the basis of every meal, and every other product one can find. Author and ecofeminist Vandana Shiva succinctly states “there is no alternative to fertile soil to sustain life, including human life, on earth…[and] no matter how many songs on your iPod, cars in your garage, or books on your shelf, it is plants’ ability to capture solar energy that is the root of it all. Without fertile soil, what is life?” (Shiva 2008).

Recognizing all the other energy that goes into your food is the next crucial step. Next time you eat, honor your food. Realize that it is the gift of the universe. Be aware of the energy and matter than went into preparing, say, a hamburger: the sun, soil and water that sustained the grain for the bun, the sweat of the farmers who raised the cows for the meat, the gasoline that powered the trucks that carried the tomatoes from the field to the factory, and the plastic that wrapped the lettuce in the grocery store before it was purchased.

I tried this as well as other mindful eating practices during my last meal. I engaged all of my senses, appreciating the foods’ colors, smells, and textures. I savored every bite, ate slowly and stopped when my stomach told me I was full. I came to this: food is a wonder, a microcosm of all life right there on your plate. Slowing down and concentrating on the food and the soil that makes everything possible can ameliorate one’s relationship with food. By being conscious of the energy that food represents, we are connecting with the earth that created it – the earth that created us.

Bays, Jan Chozen. “Mindful Eating: Rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food.” Psychology Today. 5 Feb. 2009. Web 15 Dec. 2010. .
Shiva, Vandana. Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis. Cambridge, MA: South End Press, 2008.

Discovering New Greens at Fresh Pond Apartments

Is there a meal that reminds you of home? Whether it’s your mom’s pad see ew or your Grandpa’s ratatouille, you can probably think of a dish or ingredient that reminds you of the place you are from. Replicating these meals can make home seem a little closer, but what do you if you can’t even find the ingredients in this country? I joined Farmer Tany at Fresh Pond Apartments’ vegetable gardens and discovered how one can grow a piece of home in one’s own backyard.

Fresh Pond Apartments has an ethnically diverse population. On the day of our maintenance visit, tenants speaking myriad languages joined us to harvest the last of summer’s crops. Several of the women, wearing vibrant scarves and jewel colored silks […]]]>

Discovering New Greens at Fresh Pond Apartments

Is there a meal that reminds you of home? Whether it’s your mom’s pad see ew or your Grandpa’s ratatouille, you can probably think of a dish or ingredient that reminds you of the place you are from. Replicating these meals can make home seem a little closer, but what do you if you can’t even find the ingredients in this country? I joined Farmer Tany at Fresh Pond Apartments’ vegetable gardens and discovered how one can grow a piece of home in one’s own backyard.

Fresh Pond Apartments has an ethnically diverse population. On the day of our maintenance visit, tenants speaking myriad languages joined us to harvest the last of summer’s crops. Several of the women, wearing vibrant scarves and jewel colored silks and linens, pulled up the last of a red, spinach-esque plant which I had never seen. There were many names for this vegetable: Chaulimaath, ptee, and others I cannot respectably transliterate. Every one of these urban farmers had memories of their mothers cooking the red spinach into a curry or dipping it in tuk krueng sauce at holiday meals. The recipes varied as widely as the names ascribed to it, but each woman recalled the memories with a shared fondness.

Growing your own vegetables is rewarding in innumerable ways. The food is fresh and it is your own. Gardening can nourish so much more than your body, though. As people grow and move farther away from childhood and possibly home, food can serve as a reminder of your roots and your own garden can be a little piece of home.

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