Mill City Grows Inc

GROWING FOOD SECURITY: EXPANDING URBAN AGRICULTURE, FOOD EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOWELL, MA

GROWING FOOD SECURITY: EXPANDING URBAN AGRICULTURE, FOOD EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LOWELL, MA

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MILL CITY GROWS (MCG) WORKS TOWARD FOOD JUSTICE IN LOWELL, MA. OUR PROGRAMS CONNECT FOOD ACCESS, FOOD EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY, AS WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO GROW AND LEARN IN COMMUNITY. WE ENVISION THAT LOWELL WILL BE KNOWN FOR ITS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO FOOD PRODUCTION WHERE RESIDENTS ARE ENGAGED ACTORS IN CREATING A FOOD SECURE COMMUNITY THAT PROMOTES THE ABILITY TO GROW, CONSUME, AND DISTRIBUTE HEALTHY, LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD ON LAND THAT IS SEEN AS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IS PROTECTED FOR FOOD PRODUCTION.BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR 2022 COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT, THIS PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON 4 MAIN AREAS OF WORK: INCREASE FOOD SECURITY IN LOWELL; INCREASE PUBLIC ACCESS TO GROWING SPACE IN LOWELL; INCREASE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE; AND IMPROVE THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOR LOWELL RESIDENTS. OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE INCREASING EDUCATION POINTS AT MARKETS AND EVENTS; INCREASING ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE; ADDING 1.8 ACRES OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE GROWING SPACE; PROVIDING 200+ FAMILIES WITH A CSA; EDUCATING FAMILIES ON SNAP/HIP; CREATING A YEAR-ROUND FARM STAND; DEVELOPING CULTURALLY CONNECTED COOKING CURRICULUM WITH 20+ CLASSES A YEAR.COMMUNITY LED PROGRAMMING IS CRUCIAL TO OUR ONGOING SUCCESS AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PROJECT. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE NEWLY CREATED LOWELL FOOD POLICY COUNCIL, LOCAL GROWERS FROM SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, AND LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOR LOWELL RESIDENTS BY INCREASING RESILIENCE AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.

ECOLOGY, AGRICULTURE, ACCESS, AND EDUCATION AT PAWTUCKET FARM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY.

FRESH FOOD IN EVERY LANGUAGE EXPANDING

MERRIMACK VALLEY GROWERS AID (MVGA)

THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE COSTS INCURRED TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19), WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKPLACE SAFETY, MARKET PIVOTS, RETROFITTING FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, WORKER HOUSING, AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. IT PROVIDES NEEDED RELIEF TO THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS FOR THEIR COSTS INCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY 27, 2020, THE DATE UPON WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE (HHS) UNDER SECTION 319 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, AND DECEMBER 31, 2021. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS.

LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS IS A DIVERSE, URBAN COMMUNITY IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES. LOWELL SUFFERS FROM HIGH RATES OF POVERTY, WHICH LEAD TO OBESITY AND OTHER DIET RELATED ILLNESSES. MILL CITY GROWS (MCG) WORKS TO COMBAT POVERTY AND RELATED ISSUES OF HEALTH EQUITY THROUGH IMPROVING PHYSICAL HEALTH, ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN LOWELL THROUGH INCREASED ACCESS TO LAND, LOCALLY-GROWN FOOD, AND EDUCATION. MILL CITY GROWS PROPOSES A TWO-YEAR PROJECT, ?GROWING MILL CITY GROWS DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS?, AND REQUESTS TWO STANDARD VISTAS. THE VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT AND EVALUATION (VEE) VISTA WILL FOCUS ON ENHANCING MCG?S SALESFORCE (SF) DATABASE, WHICH WOULD BE USED FOR VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT, EVALUATION DATA AND REPORTING, AND AS A FUNDRAISING DATABASE. THE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING (DM) VISTA WILL FOCUS ON CREATING SYSTEMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL ENHANCE MCG?S ABILITY TO RAISE UNRESTRICTED FUNDS TO SUPPORT OUR FOOD ACCESS AND FOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS HELPING US TO OUTREACH TO POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS DONORS. OUR GOAL WITH THIS PROJECT IS TO ENHANCE MCG'S CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT OR WORK BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS AND CASH VIA DONATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT WE WILL MEASURE VARIOUS OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES TO DETERMINE PROGRESS INCLUDING NUMBER OF SYSTEMS IMPROVED, NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED AND TRAINED, AND AMOUNT OF NEW RESOURCES, BOTH CASH AND IN-KIND, RECEIVED BY THE ORGANIZATION. MILL CITY GROWS CURRENTLY HOSTS TWO FOODCORPS SERVICE MEMBERS AND TWO TERRACORPS SERVICE MEMBERS AND IS FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES, POLICIES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH WORKING WITH NATIONAL SERVICE MEMBERS. OUR CO-DIRECTOR, FRANCEY SLATER, WOULD SERVE AS SUPERVISOR FOR THE DM VISTA, AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, GALLAGHER HANNAN WOULD SERVE AS SUPERVISOR FOR THE VEE VISTA, ENSURING THEY HAVE REGULAR GUIDANCE ON THEIR PROJECTS AND SUPPORT FOR SUCCESSFULLY MEETING THEIR PROJECT GOALS. MILL CITY GROWS WILL WORK TO RECRUIT DIVERSE PEOPLE WHO REFLECT THE POPULATION WE SERVE TO THE REQUESTED VISTA POSITIONS AND PROVIDE THE VISTAS WITH A RIGOROUS ORIENTATION THAT WILL HELP THEM GET ACCLIMATED TO THE CULTURE OF MCG AND THE ENVIRONS OF LOWELL.