The Food Project is now beginning our preliminary construction on the new Urban Learning Farm located at 31 Burrell Street near the Shirley Eustis house. Thanks to generous grants from The SCI Dorchester Youth Council, The Boston Public Health Commission, and the Herman and Frieda L. Miller Foundation, progress is underway to get the Learning Farm up and running this spring. Recently drawn up plans for the new garden show several rows of raised beds, a bird bath and herb plot, a pleasant picnic area, and some new apple trees and berry bushes lining the perimeter.

The Food Project’s Urban Education and outreach interns have already constructed nearly 50 raised bed frames this winter for the learning farm and neighboring local gardeners. With this new Urban Learning Farm and the Build-a-Garden program, that provides raised beds for local gardeners with a high lead content in their soil, we aim to educate local gardeners about urban growing, and recruit new gardeners in the community by teaching healthy gardening practices. Over the summer we will be running workshops on the land, and are welcoming youth groups to come plant and harvest with us. In the fall, Mason and Emerson Elementary Schools are going to be helping us work the land.

If you are a leader of a youth group and are interested in getting involved, please feel free to contact Monica Pless at 617-442-1322 x21.