It’s that time of year again! The weather is warming up, the birds are singing and flowers are blooming. Gardeners are getting their land ready for planting and The Food Project wants to help. We are holding our annual City Farm Fest on April 29 from 1pm to 4pm on our West Cottage lot in Dorchester. We will distribute FREE compost to neighborhood gardeners and information about healthy soil, reducing lead exposure and tips on safe gardening in urban areas. Once again, we will have food (chili and cornbread) and the Caribbean rhythms of Volume II Steel Drum Band. We will also have a plant sale with vegetables like tomatoes, collards and peppers as well several varieties of flowers.

If you are a backyard gardener in the city or interested in gardening, please come by and check us out. The Urban Education and Outreach program is offering free soil tests and building raised beds, specifically for those gardeners with contaminated soil. We do all of our work with high school interns and teach them about community outreach and urban agriculture. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call Jonathan Martinez at 617-442-1322 x20.