Everett Community Growers Cut the Ribbon on New Farm and Farmstand

In collaboration with the City of Everett and the Everett Public Schools, Everett Community Growers has announced the grand opening of their new farm and farmstand on Broadway.

Everett Community Growers (ECG), will be cutting the ribbon on their new location at 548 Broadway in Everett on Saturday, June 12, at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will include Everett residents, ECG members, and city officials, including Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. ECG is a community-based food justice organization working to improve health and racial equity through urban agriculture, youth workforce development, and equitable policy change. In ECGs’ efforts to provide nutritious, low-cost, locally grown produce to the residents of Everett, they have announced their new location on Broadway in Everett while their original location on the Northern Strand Community Trail is being rebuilt.

“A major factor in determining good quality of life is easy access to ample healthy food sources. Everett’s 46,000 residents are exceptionally diverse, both in ethnicity and income, and meeting the food needs of such a diverse population is a challenge,” said Mayor DeMaria. “This new facility is a testament to the work that Everett Community Growers has done to help us address that challenge and is another step to meeting our community’s needs.”

The product of a collaboration between ECG, the City of Everett, and the Everett Public Schools, the farm has 22 raised beds for ECG staff (including a 6-member Youth Crew) to plant, grow, and harvest produce for donation to local food pantries and distribution through their farmstand. The ECG Farmstand is the only vendor in Everett to accept the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), allowing SNAP customers to earn money back on their EBT cards when they purchase locally grown produce. In addition to HIP and SNAP, the farmstand also accepts P-EBT, credit cards, and cash.

“We are incredibly excited to cut the ribbon on our newest facility today and expand access to healthy, low cost, culturally appropriate food to Everett residents,” said Kathleen O’Brien, Operations Manager at Everett Community Growers. “This is an excellent example of how partnerships can serve our residents, and it was made possible by Mayor DeMaria, the Everett Public Schools and the outstanding staff at the Department of Public Works. We are deeply thankful for their commitment to making this happen.” ECG hopes to use this location to continue to partner with the City, EPS and local organizations to engage community members and residents in food justice work.

ECG is generously supported by the MA Community Health and Healthy Aging Fund, Merck Family Fund, Project Bread, Hunger to Health Collaboratory, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Everett Citizens Foundation and various individual donors.

To find out more about Everett Community Growers and their new farm, community garden locations, and other food justice work, visit their website at www.everettcommunitygrowers.org.

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