University:
Boston University
Course:
QST BA 472 | Business Experiments and Causal Methods
Academic year:

2023
Views:

446

Pages:

11
Author:

Jarrett Richard

Enhancing and Preserving Community Farms in Massachusetts Overview 1. Connecting Boston Area Community Farms and Gardens with Food Justice Communities: Models and Recommendations 2. Farmland preservation via legislation, zoning, community engagement 3. Promoting local sourcing through restaurants 4. Systems analysis of impactful organizations Connecting Boston Area Farms and Gardens with Food Justice Communities: Models and Recommendations Purpose ● Community farms and gardens enhance food justice missions ● Need help to sustain themselves Image courtesy of thefoodproject.org Deﬁnitions ● Community farm versus community garden: ○ ○ ● Community farm: farms in which community members and farmers share risks and beneﬁts through advance payments that provide upfront capital and a secure market for the farmer, and fresh, local, and sustainable produce to members throughout the growing season (1). Community garden: a common land resource used by a community, open to any member of the community, in which the individuals that care for/participate in the garden reap the beneﬁts of the garden (2). Food justice: ○ The right to culturally-appropriate, healthy, local, fresh, nutritious, aﬀordable food, with a supply chain that is fair, equitable, and sustainable. How do community farms & gardens connect to food justice? Close proximity! ● ● ● ● ● Local, fresh food Easier access Education, participation, and employment Direct communication with community Better accountability Image courtesy of eastiefarm.org Case studies ● ● ● Eastie Farm - East Boston, MA Hannah Farm - Boston’s South End and Boston Harbor’s Long Island, MA The Food Project - Dorchester, Roxbury, Lynn, and Lincoln, MA Image courtesy of eastiefarm.org Image courtesy of bgood.com Image courtesy of thefoodproject.org Common themes ● Signiﬁcant, consistent community interactions ○ ● Youth engagement ○ ● Employment, education, cultural events Youth programs, youth employment, education programs Require outside funding to sustain business Image courtesy of bgood.com Common challenges Rely on outside funding None have organic certiﬁcations, but all practice organic/sustainable ● Challenges in reaching customers ● Providing enough produce in small spaces ● Protecting against developers ● ● Image courtesy of eastiefarm.org Policy recommendations ● Creating grant, loan, or subsidy programs that either aid the gardens and farms, or aid food justice communities that buy or get produce from these organizations (1) ● Subsidize youth programs run by community farms and gardens ● Preserve urban and suburban farmland and gardening spaces through improvements in legislation, state funding, and public engagement ● Create a resource center or hotline for community farms and gardens with information and tools Policy recommendations ● Aid farms and gardens who have educational programs by funding or subsidizing these programs, providing educational resources for the programs, and increasing visibility of these types of events and programs. ● Oﬀer grants for using sustainable, climate resilient, or organic practices, and/or provide easier, cheaper pathways to organic certiﬁcations