Springtime treat – Vegan Ice Cream in Boston

Did you know that The University of Chicago reports that going vegan is 50% more effective than switching to a hybrid car in reducing greenhouse gas emissions?!  Maybe you are like me and you can’t make the TOTAL jump. You can at least substitute some creamy icy cold snacks and go animal product free every once and awhile, right? (For disclosure purposes, I was vegan once, a LONG time ago, and now, I would rather stab myself in the eye with a spork than give up aged gouda for life, but, that is just me.)

Okay, okay… many of you may say… “How can it be ice cream if there isn’t any cream?” Well, it is and it can be. While Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, even your local grocery store, have a nice selection of dairy free treats in the frozen dessert aisle, occasionally you want to get an impromptu cupa something nummy. For those warm days that are just on the horizon, check out one of the great local Boston places to get your Vegan ice cream jones on!

NORTH END:

Grezzo Restaurant
69 Prince Street Boston MA 02113
857-362-7288

They do not use dairy, animal products, animal derived products, maple syrup, honey, nutritional yeast, cooked vinegars, canned food or processed ingredients.

SYMPHONY:

Wheelers Black Label Vegan Ice Cream
334B Massachusetts Ave
Boston, MA 02115
617- 247-0047

They use soy, coconut, rice, and almond milks for all of their tasty treats!

BEACON HILL:

Cafe Podima
168 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-227-4959

Be sure to ask for their tofu frozen yogurt!
KENMORE:

Ankara Café
472 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617-437-0404

They also have tofu frozen yogurt!

SO, while you go out and get your nomnom on, be proud that you are doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint, one lick at a time!

Tags: ankara cafe, boston, cafe podima, carbon footprint, emissions, greenhouse gas, grezzo, tofu frozen yogurt, University of Chicago, Vegan ice cream, wheelers

D2E Boston 2010 Update!

We have less than a month to go before the third annual Down:2:Earth Expo (April 9-11!) and we are committed to making it the most valuable and entertaining event to date. We’ve been hard at work this year to provide you with the very best in green information and exhibits.

Keynote Speaker James Hansen

This year we have something for everyone! Check out the highlights below including talks by James Hansen and Mayim Bialik, workshops on everything from the future of energy to butter-making and special features such as our Local Bites event and a Water Sculpture by Christine Destrempes.

Spread the word!

We’ve also been highlighting opportunities for the greater Boston community to come together around green lifestyle online, by bringing you updates, promotions and info on our facebook page, via twitter and here on our blog. Be sure to friend and follow us to contribute to the conversation! Watch for special discounts and promotions from us and our exhibitors over the next month!

In addition to over 100 exhibitors this year, we also have seven areas for workshops and activities, including the D2E Main Stage, Green in Action room, Thought Leaders Room, Spring Eco-Garden Stage, Kitchen Theater, Kids’ Block and Video Project Theater.  See below to learn more:

Climate Change

We are delighted to have James Hansen – noted climate scientist and author of “Storms of My Grandchildren” – join us to discuss the urgent crisis we currently confront.

Green Living Speaker and Celebrity Mayim Bialik

Homes and Families

• Mayim Bialik of the hit 90s tv show “Blossom”, will be talking about her commitment to green living and parenting on our main stage.

• Natural Home and Garden Magazine Editor In Chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence, will take you on a virtual tour of the greenest homes in the US.

• Local green home experts Laura Catanzaro and Paul Marquis will teach you how to green your small condo, dorm or apartment.
  

Local Business

NPR’s WBUR host Robin Young joins us for an in-depth interview with Laury Hammel, executive director of the Sustainable Business Network.

Jobs

Find a career path that contributes to the green economy at our jobs workshop.

Energy and Water

• Learn about the future of energy with our panel of clean energy experts.
• Teens – find out what clean energy means and how you can learn more.
  
• How sustainable are your water practices? We’ll dive into regional issues with our expert panelists.

Food

• Oleana Chef Ana Sortun and Siena Farm’s Chris Kurth join us for a unique cooking demo.
  

• Our Local Bites Party brings together local sustainable chefs, food producers, green restaurants, sustainable wine and beer to celebrate Boston\’s thriving local food culture.
  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/left-hand/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Garden

• Learn about organic lawn care at our Safe Lawns session sponsored by Mahoney’s.
  

• We will have an entire garden area set up at the show. Don’t miss it!

Check our full schedule for more related events.

Check out our exhibitor list for related green products and services.
_________

Get your tickets now and get ready for D2E 2010!

Friday, April 9 – 5:00pm-9:00pm: Local Bites Party
Saturday, April 10 – 11:00am-7:00pm
Sunday, April 11 – 11:00am-5:00pm

Localvore Thanksgiving – taking it old school

Above: Gardens at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. I pass these on my bike ride to work. I don’t have a green thumb, so I depend on Farmers Markets, Harvest Coop and Trader Joes to get local, organic and fair trade items.

This Thanksgiving I am hosting my family, so I’m looking into some good Localvore recipes. Besides not having a green thumb, my culinary experience is quite limited so I’m looking for some simple recipes. Below are a few I found on the Sustainable Rutland blog – up in Rutland VT.

I’m all pumped up after visiting the farmer’s market this morning. I must be hitting middle age.

LOCALVORE CRANBERRY SAUCE
1 cup Vermont Cranberry company cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
Cook carefully for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries “pop”.
Cool to room temperature and serve.

LOCALVORE ROASTED VEGETABLES
Local Potatoes (cubed)
Local Parsnips (cut into chunks)
Local Garlic (whole cloves, or if too large, cut in half or thirds)
Local Onions (cubed)
Local Carrots (cut into chunks)
Local Butternut Squash (peeled and cubed)

Combine all vegetables in a roasting pan. Toss with melted local butter (or oil), and salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees until all vegetables are soft but not mushy (30-40 minutes, depending on size of pieces).

MASHED POTATOES
Use your favorite traditional mashed potato recipe using locally grown potatoes, local milk (or cream) and butter. Add locally grown roasted garlic, if desired.

SWEET POTATOES
Use your favorite sweet potato recipes using locally grown sweet potatoes and maple syrup instead of sugar.

BACON, APPLE AND FENNEL STUFFING
From Bon Appétit, November 2008

1 pound local bacon slices, coarsely chopped
10 cups local bread, cubed in 1” pieces
2 3/4 cups (or more) chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup local butter
4 cups finely chopped local onions
6 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled cored sweet-tart local heirloom apples
2 cups finely chopped fresh local fennel bulbs
1 cup finely chopped celery or celeriac
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large local eggs, beaten to blend
2/3 cup chopped fresh local parsley, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Toast until light golden and crisp around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine bacon and 4 cups water in large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Drain, discarding liquid. Place bacon in large roasting pan. Pour 2 cups chicken broth over. Roast until broth evaporates and bacon begins to crisp around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until water evaporates, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes longer.

Remove roasting pan with bacon from oven; reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Mix cooked onions, apples, fennel, and celery into bacon in roasting pan. Roast until apples and all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store toasted bread in large resealable plastic bags. Chill bacon-apple mixture uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13×9x2- inch glass baking dish. Combine toasted bread, 3/4 cup chicken broth, and bacon apple mixture in very large bowl. Mix in 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix in eggs, then 1/2 cup parsley. Add more chicken broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil; bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is browned, about 30 minutes longer. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

KALE WITH SAUTÉED APPLE AND ONION
From Gourmet, December 2000

1 tart local apple
2 tablespoons local butter
1 medium local onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 lb local kale, tough stems and ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water

Peel, quarter, and core apple, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.

Heat butter in a 5-quart pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add apple and curry powder and sauté, stirring, until apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes.

Add kale and water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, about minutes.

Season with salt.

ENJOY! And as we all should do every day, let’s count our blessings.

Tags: bike, commute, garden, localvore

Reducing my impact, one habit at a time

Above: Two weeks worth of recycling and trash. Since we have been composting, our trash bag has been reduced to half of a kitchen bag every two weeks. There is always room for improvement, but this reduction is significant.

In the wave of environmental awareness that washed over the US after An Inconvenient Truth I was one of the many that realized I should be aligning my actions with my values. I have always considered myself an environmentalist, but it was clear that I had more to learn and I would have to change some habits.

We have stated on this blog the importance of tackling one habit at a time. I have found that it takes me about three months to make a complete transformation from one habit to another. So I average about four habits a year. Below is a list of the habits I have changed this past year:

1. Reusable mug and fair trade for the coffee addict.
I started using my reusable mug for coffee runs – no more paper cups allowed. At the D2E office we buy only fair trade coffee and we make our own more often than we run out to the coffee shop. This has saved us a lot of money as well, which is a bonus for a small business. We love the New Mexico coffee from Trader Joe’s and of course we run to the farmers market regularly to get our fix of Equal Exchange.

2. No more bottled water
I have a Shaklee water filter at home so I can feel good about drinking the tap water, and I have a Soda Club seltzer maker since my husband and I are addicted to bubbly water. I stopped buying bottled water and use my reusable metal bottles when I need to have water on-the-go. I have a small one that is easy to keep in my purse and a larger one that I bring with me on trips.

3. BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag
This one took some time. I now have multiple reusable bags that I keep for my shopping needs.

- I keep a bag that folds up into a little zipper pouch in my purse for unexpected purchases.
- I keep four bags at my apartment, two at my office and two in the trunk of my car. People that use their cars often will probably keep more bags in their car, since they will drive to the grocery store. I tend to shop at lunch time and I only buy for two meals at a time, for only two people. So I can get away with one or two bags that I can carry on the bus or in my messenger bag when on my bike.

Once you figure out your system – how many bags you need and where you keep them – this habit is very easy to keep. Since every time you use reusable bags at the grocery store, you are a walking advertisement for environmentalism, there is a bit of public pride that goes along with it. People often say to me “Oh, you are so good. I find it so hard to remember to bring a bag.” and I always reply “One habit at a time. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and give yourself a few months to change one habit.” On the days that I don’t have enough bags for my groceries or if I did forget to bring my bag, I get a paper bag so that I can use it to hold my paper recycling. There is an arguement about paper vs. plastic that is worth investigating. Each time I read about the bag issue, it just makes me realize how important it is that I bring my own bag.

4. Waste, Compost and Recycling
I have always recycled, so this was not a habit that I had to pick up. But I did start to look at what I was recycling and ask myself if I could change my purchasing habits so that I would not have the packaging that needed to be recycled. For instance – buy more fresh fruit and vegetables rather than frozen or canned. The great thing about this habit is that besides cutting down on packaging materials, I am also getting healthier food and supporting our local farmers.

I started composting and this has significantly reduced the amount of garbage that goes to our curbside. The photo above is what our curbside looks like every two weeks. We have significantly reduced the amount of trash we generate. We don’t have to put the trash out every week. I highly recommend this. It really feels great.

5. Food
This one was tough for me and I am still working on it. I have been running my own business since 2001 and in the first three years I did not have much time for cooking. So I got into the habit of getting take-out or eating at the bar of a local watering hole. Besides the health and weight issues associated with this, I was spending way too much money on my meals. So I have spent the past year working on my cooking skills. I shop at the farmers market or walk down the road to Trader Joes during lunch. This has helped since it doesn’t take time out of my day, and once I have purchased the fresh produce I am committed to cooking it. There is nothing worse than good food gone bad.

- Shop for produce and fruit at your local farmers’ market. Many farmers’ markets also have cheese, meat and baked goods.
- Look for grass fed, free range and organic labels (this labeling/certification is not perfect, but it is a good start and it encourages our food industry to recognize that consumers demand quality)
- Pay attention to where the food comes from – Local is always better.
- Pay attention to the packaging. Less is more.

6. Eco Clothes shopping
This one is another ongoing effort. I wear clothes every day, so I consider fashion an important way to express my values. Thanks to D2E I have found some great local stores that buy only from sustainable brands or local designers. This makes shopping easier since I do not always have time to sift through the clothing racks looking for organic cotton or bamboo. Besides that, there is more to the equation than just using non toxic and renewable fabrics. The company should have an invested interest in fair manufacturing practices. The communities that labor to make our clothes, whether they are in Los Angeles or Nicaragua, should be fairly compensated. The clothing industry should be a positive part of their local economy.

You will find a lot of great fashion companies at D2E who can educate you on the materials they use and the manufacturing standards they demand. All of our exhibitors care about the earth’s resources and the people that help them manufacture their clothes (worth investigating: ENVI, IBEX, Jute & Jackfruit, Helen E Reigle, Tara Lynn, Del Forte jeans and COVET).

Some simple guidelines that I have adopted:
1. Think before you buy. Do you really need this garment?
2. Buy quality clothing that will last. Get away from purchasing cheap garments that start to deteriorate after a few washes or quickly go out of style.
3. Renewable and non toxic materials: Bamboo, Organic Cotton, Tencil, wool, hemp
4. Second hand shopping or trading with friends. Afterall, one woman’s trash is another woman’s ball gown.
5. I use non toxic, gentle laundry detergent from Shaklee to wash my clothes. I am more selective about what clothes go into the washing machine and/or dryer and I take good care of my delicates.

The fashion issue is so big, that even after making efforts to educate myself and shop wise over the past two years, I still feel there is much more to learn. I have learned that the leather used for boots and shoes has the largest impact in the whole process. Transportation from one country to another has a minimal impact compared with feeding the livestock, the methane that cows emit and the manufacturing process to turn a hide into a boot. I’m not sure if faux leather is better than real leather – this needs to be investigated. I’m plagued by doubts – it aint easy being a conscious consumer, but it is necessary.

I hope sharing my venture into a sustainable lifestyle can help others make changes. We are all in it together, and our purchasing power is one way we can make a difference.

Tags: bottles, clothing, coffee, fair trade, Home, recycle

My own backyard oracle

MARGERIE - My backyard compost bin, not to be confused with a big black silo.

I can remember watching Fraggle Rock when I was a kid. I loved Margerie the trash heap oracle. My mom had a compost pile in the back yard that we lovingly named Margerie, after the wise advisor. When I left for college in 1987 Margerie was but a fond memory. I lived in the greater Washington DC area, and we did not have a compost pile. I did not realize then how hip my mom was – quite ahead of the curve. It was not until 1996, when I attended graduate school in Switzerland that I encountered another compost. I lived in an 8 story apartment building in Basel and there was a compost area in the back garden that all residents could share.

I was amazed at how little trash my roommate and I accumulated. We were keenly aware of this because the Swiss collect their trash collection taxes from the sales of their state trash bags. So, in order to get your trash picked up at your doorstep, you must purchase trash bags with the official state seal. These are more costly than plain trash bags – which encourages you to produce less waste. BRILLIANT!

We only bought the small trash bags, which are about half the size of a typical American kitchen trash bag. We put out one of these small bags a month. All of our fruit and veggie scraps would go to the compost and all of our bottles, cans and paper would be recycled. I am not sure if there was less packaging in Europe, or if I was just too broke to buy items that have packaging. My purchases mainly consisted of food, beverage and train tickets.

Now that I am living in the Boston area and trying to live as sustainable as possible, I have installed a compost bin in my backyard. For those of you that do not have yard space, there are some great indoor compost options to explore, like these from Nature Mill.

And check out this info supplied by Nature Mill:

The Biodegradable Irony
Food and paper decompose by themselves in nature. They are, however, the two largest components in landfills, accounting for nearly 50% of all municipal solid waste. There is more food and paper in landfills than diapers, styrofoam, and tires — combined. According to the US EPA, food waste is the #1 least recycled material.

Landfills are layered deep and saturated with water. No oxygen can penetrate. As a result, even “biodegradable” waste will remain embalmed for centuries to come. Landfills produce methane, a harmful greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide (according to the US EPA), and leach toxic chemicals into our air and drinking water.

Check your local city hall to see if they sell compost bins – or visit Boston Building Materials Coop, located at 100 Terrace Street in Roxbury (near Roxbury Community College). If you don’t have a car or can’t travel to Roxbury, a great on-line store to visit is The Alternative Energy Store. Have fun greening your home!

BIG Belly

Last week I grabbed a pizza and headed for Copley Square to enjoy my lunch in front of the park. When I finished my delicious Uppercrust I headed for a trash receptacle and encountered Big Belly!

Big Belly is as friendly as he sounds, being the first Solar Powered Trash Compactor that does exactly that, compresses the garbage thrown into it’s belly making room for five times more trash than traditional trash receptacles.

The best part about Big Belly is that he is powered by solar panels when compacting all the trash and he reduces the number of collection trips needed to pick up all trash. This cost effective friendly belly cuts fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.

Next time you see Big Belly be sure to feed him trash that his belly can compress!

Tags: Big Belly, compactor, garbage, greenhouse gas, solar

Embrace the different shades of green

Some like to hike, others like to bike. Embrace your shade of green and let your friends find their own.

Since the resurgence of environmentalists – shall we say since the premier of An Inconvenient Truth - people have been more actively changing their daily habits. I’ll admit that I am one of them. Though I was raised to be aware of politics, care about human rights and be good to the earth, the amount of attention the media has been giving the environment has helped keep me über-aware of my own impact.

So slowly but surely I have been changing my habits. I eat less meat (I am contemplating going back to being a vegetarian, but have not yet made the move). I don’t buy bottled water. I use my travel coffee mug religiously. I recycle. I use my own bags for groceries. I ride my bike to work or take public transportation. I am in the process of setting up my compost bin. This compost bin is taking longer than I would like. I seem to be quite tired at the end of each work day and I need to set aside some time to put this together. In the meantime, I will admit that I have been hording veggie scraps in old Chinese take-out plastic containers. I am hiding them from my husband so that he does not get grossed out. So don’t tell him.

I have learned that it is easier to change one habit at a time. Taking on too much change all at once can lead to frustration and failure. So once I get the compost bin up and working, my next step is to take on a volunteer job. I am trying to work my schedule so that I can spend some time on ReVision farm. I love what they do, and want to be a part of it.

I am inspired by people every day, and that motivates me to change much more than having someone tisk-tisk me. At this point I would say my shade of green is a sea foam green. I am not a light green, nor am I a grassy green nor a dark emerald green. I have made some great strides in the past year, but I have a way to go.

So back to letting everyone be their own shade of green, Beth Teitell was doing a story for NPR on green shaming/environmental harassment. She called me for some information. I mentioned to her that while attending seminars to learn more about sustainable business people were shaming the fact that we all had to meet instead of having a webinar. I can see their point, but we are human and we still need to interact. There are times when a webinar is appropriate, and there are times when we should meet face-to-face. Anyone that has had to run their own business knows the importance of networking.

You can hear the story, titled “Is an enviromaniac loose in your office?”, on
the Marketplace website. Check it out – I’m sure there are many of you out there that can relate.

In the meantime – keep up the good work.

Tags: An Inconvenient Truth, Beth Teitell, bike, hike, politics, recycle

Staycations are hot this summer

Above: Boston at sunset. Taken from a friend’s roof deck. It’s always fun to crash friends’ houses in different areas of town – just be good and bring a host gift.

When I started my own business my budget was tight, so there was no chance of a big vacation in a far-away exotic place. When I took time off I would venture into Boston or take the bus to NYC for an urban day off, and travel up to VT and NH for hiking and fresh air. I have recently learned that the high price of gas (and therefore air travel) has affected tourism in the US. Staycations, vacations close to home, are in.

After googling staycations I was surprised to see how much chatter is happening about this subject. It really is hot this summer, so there are many resources and opinions out there. The article in the Globe today by Nicole Wong instigated this blog entry and below are some of D2E’s favorite local attractions.

D2E list of Boston area stuff-to-do
- Walk Boston
Check out this website to find events that involve walking and Boston. The group has a higher mission to make Boston more walkable, and while doing this they offer some fun Boston walks. It is well worth checking out.

- Boston Public Library
Julie visited the library last night and saw two great exhibits. One on WWI posters and the other was called Movingline. According to Julie it is well worth the visit. The library offers something for everyone, at every age, so definitely check out their website. You will be pleasantly surprised.

- The New England Aquarium
What would a tourist day in Boston be like without a stop at the aquarium? My husband and I like to go on late night urban bike rides and we always stop at the aquarium to say hello to the seals. They are definitely distant relatives of Lucy, our labrador.

- Lobstah!
A few weeks ago my husband and I decided to explore the north shore after work. We had never been to Gloucester and wanted to check it out. While driving around we discovered The Lobster Pool in Rockport and loved having our steamers outside while the sun was setting. If you want to stay in metro Boston, there are plenty of options.

- Urban Bike Rides
Get out your bike, your helmet and tour the city. Check out Boston Bikes to see what the city has going on. And Urban Adventours will take you on a guided tour with other bicyclists. If you do not have a bike, you can rent one from Urban Adventours – so no excuses!

For a more comprehensive list, visit the City of Boston’s website. It is amazing how much this city has to offer.

Tags: bike, boston, business, vacation, walks

Vertical Farms

If we continue to live vertically, we should begin to grow vertically. Vertical Farming shares this idea at the core of it’s philosophy, it occupies less space than horizontal farming and has the potential to be as beneficial if not more, than traditional forms of farming.

If we look at the tags indicating where our food is grown, we would realize that a lot of what we eat is either shipped or flown to us from different states and many different countries. The amount of energy that these modes of transportation use and the number of trips needed to deliver our food grows as our population grows. The increasing development of urban centers leaves less and less room for the growth of vegetation in our cities. This begs for a solution like the one brought forth by professor Dickson Despommier at Columbia University with his concept of vertical farming.

Until now there are several proposed projects for vertical farming in the U.S., in places like Seattle, Las Vegas (of all places), New York, and cities outside the U.S. like Toronto in Canada.

What about Boston?
Thankfully a lot of people in Boston are conscientious about where they buy their food. There are shopping centers like Harvest Co-op which buys products from local farmers and is a drop-off for CSA’s. We can’t forget Re-Vision Urban Farm in Dorchester, which we highlighted in our previous blog. Then of course, you have the Farmers Markets scattered around greater Boston which take place from May to November. Our local market is in Copley Square, but there are plenty in other neighborhoods. There are also websites like Boston Community Change which promote local small businesses.

Boston is a city that would welcome and benefit greatly from one of these projects. Having a self sustaining vertical farm to feed the urban population is something that more cities will be looking into as populations increase, and the cost of food rises. Although there are no set proposals for vertical farming in the city of Boston yet, we believe its only a matter of time before Boston has it’s first self sustaining vertical farm!

Tags: boston, farming, Food, Transportation

A Farm Grows in Dorchester

Today members of the down:2:earth team took a field trip to reVision Urban Farm, we met with Matt Kochka, the farm manager who was kind enough to answer some of our questions and gave us a little tour. Arriving at the farm we saw a vast patch of land covered with green vegetables, this scene contrasted with the Dorchester triple deckers surrounding the plot and the McMansions that are being constructed just a block away. Farms in town – what a concept!

The main mission of the farm is to give shelter and hope to pregnant and parenting homeless women. Matt said that the average stay lasts from six to eighteen months. With that mission in mind, they have managed to do so much more than give hope. They grow organic food that is then sold to locals at discount prices, benefiting the local community. The woman staying at the house can help tend to the garden and gain important working skills. The food served at the house is healthy. Local volunteers can gain a greater sense of community and experience an urban farm. reVision is able to earn 20% of it’s funding from the sales of produce.

After noting the significance of this income, Matt pointed out that they still need donations from individuals and labor from volunteers to survive. NOTE: Wednesdays are a great day to volunteer a few hours at the farm. Since they sell their produce on Thursdays, Wednesdays are busy preparing and much help is needed. Nathalie and Lorelei are looking into their busy urban schedules to see if they can get down to their roots once a week.

The farm grows collards, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, rasberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale. They also have two green houses where we found Rachel Cory, their intern for the summer. We interrupted her while she was thinning seeds to plant mustard and lettuce. She is currently attending Bryan Mawr, enrolled in a program called Growth and Structure of cities, where she learns about issues of urban planning, economics and sociology. (Phew – someone is looking into this!) Her internship has been six months long and she said that she has enjoyed it very much.

Rachel and Matt both like having the opportunity to reach out to the community. The work they do at the farm is complicated in some ways, but in others it seems so fundamental. With the rise in food prices and health issues from pesticides and processed foods, this farm seems like a no-brainer. Why is it so unique? Well, it is a bit complicated and someone has to run it and fund it. If you want to donate – the parent organization is Victory Programs. You can donate right on their website.

We were very inspired by the initiative at the farm, which has been around for over a decade. We hope to go back in a couple of weeks and volunteer at the farm. Matt said that volunteers are always welcomed and participation is encouraged. You learn skills on how to grow your vegetables, and learn valuable life skills that benefit those that are interested in sustainability. And of course, you are part of a community when you volunteer. You meet interesting people and expand your world.

Tags: Add new tag, boston, community, farm, Food, organic, pregnant