MILL CITY GROWS CELEBRATES THE FALL SEASON AT THEIR
2024 “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” EVENT ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 FROM 1PM-4PM

All are welcomed to enjoy kids crafts, local food, a Mobile Farmers Market, live music, visits with community organizations, PLUS tours of MCG’s 4-acre farm, and more!

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based food justice non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) welcomes the public to their Big Urban Farm in Lowell’s Pawtucketville neighborhood on the eve of fall in New England! All are invited to celebrate the season at MCG’s “Harvest Day at the Farm” on Saturday, September 21, from 1-4pm, at 1001 Pawtucket Boulevard in Lowell, MA. Admission is free and open to the public, and plenty of free parking is available on-site. Event updates are at MillCityGrows.org, Facebook.com/millcitygrows, or by calling 978-455-2620.

“Harvest Day at the Farm” festivities include tours of MCG’s Big Urban Farm, kids games and activities, local food, a touch-a-tractor, and live music from Lowell’s renowned The Party Band. Mill City Grows is excited to welcome a variety of local organizations who will showcase and share their work with attendees, including ReGenerative Roots of New Hampshire, who will give free apple and pear trees to guests (while supplies last). Fresh fruits and veggies will also be for sale at the Mill City Grows Mobile Farmers Market, many of which are grown and harvested at the Big Urban Farm. 

In addition to being their primary growing space in Lowell, MCG’s Big Urban Farm is also home to the organization’s Merrimack Valley Growers Aid (MVGA) Program which provides land access, supplies, technical assistance, and education on sustainable farming practices to 11 local farmers. Most of the participants in this pilot program grow a variety of crops that are culturally meaningful and often impossible to find at local markets or grocery stores. Beyond the physical space and opportunity for engagement, participants emphasize the rapport they share with each other and Mill City Grows team members.

MCG’s “Harvest Day at the Farm” is made possible by the generous support of Mill City Grows 2024 Annual Sponsors: Aberthaw Construction Company, A. Fagundes Plumbing & Heating, Align Credit Union, Alpine Butcher, Cummings Foundation, Eastern Bank, Enterprise Bank, Gallagher & Cavanaugh LLP, Griffin Greenhouse Supplies, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Lowell Central Electric, Mahoney Oil Company, Market Basket, Middlesex Community College, Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Nobis Group, PGI Foods, Princeton Properties, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Salem Five Bank, Verizon, Walmart, Waste Management, Whole Foods.

About Mill City Grows
Mill City Grows believes when a community is given access to fresh food and knowledge of how to grow and prepare delicious, healthy meals, people will enjoy better quality of life and have a deeper connection to each other and their environment. Since 2011, MCG has worked towards food justice in Lowell through these dynamic hands-on programs and strategies: education in and out of schools, supporting community leadership through community gardens, urban farming, mobile markets, and empowering people to produce their own food. For more information on what’s growing in Lowell and how you can become a part of the city’s thriving local food movement, visit MillCityGrows.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Ali Jacobs, Co-Executive Director
ali@millcitygrows.org
Phone: 413-636-8042

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 18, AT UMASS LOWELL’S RIST URBAN AGRICULTURE GREENHOUSE & FARM

Plant Sale festivities will include a Farmers Market, free door prize giveaway, and more! 

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) will host its Annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 18, from 10am to 2pm, at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse & Farm at 69 Pawtucket Street. Free parking is available on site at UMass Lowell’s East Campus Garage. An abundant variety of Lowell-grown herbs, vegetables, flowers, and fruit plants will be available for purchase at this free, public event. Attendees will also enjoy a Farmers Market showcasing local guest vendors Craic Sauce, F-Word Farm, The Merrimack Company, and Fat Moon Mushrooms, plus the Mill City Grows Mobile Market will be selling fresh, seasonal produce. All attendees are invited to enter MCG’s free door prize giveaway at their information table! (One entry per person.) Cash, debit, and credit will be accepted at the plant sale, and SNAP/EBT/HIP will be accepted for fruit and vegetable plants. All proceeds from the event will benefit Mill City Grows programs that expand healthy food access and offer educational opportunities for Lowell residents. Event updates are available at MillCityGrows.org, on the Plant Sale Facebook Event, and by calling 978-455-2620. 

MCG’s annual plant sale and Mobile Market Program are integral parts of Mill City Grows’ Food Access Programs. The 2024 Outdoor Mobile Farmers Market season launches on Tuesday, May 7, at Lowell Community Health Center. The full Mobile Market schedule is available at MillCityGrows.org. Additionally, MCG’s year-round CSA Farm Share Program increases access to fresh, nourishing produce, especially for SNAP/EBT clients. Summer CSA Farm Shares are now available for purchase at MillCityGrows.org.

All the plants available at the plant sale were seeded and nurtured by Mill City Grows at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse & Farm, the location of the plant sale. The initial 1,800 square foot greenhouse was built in 2017 in partnership between UMass Lowell’s Office of Sustainability and Mill City Grows, and operates year-round. In 2024, an additional 1,800 square feet was added to the farm site, providing double the growing space for Mill City Grows programming.

The Mill City Grows Annual Spring Plant Sale is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of MCG’s 2024 Annual Event Sponsors: The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., Princeton Properties, Eastern Bank, Enterprise Bank, Verizon, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Gallagher & Cavanaugh LLP, Market Basket, Mahoney Oil Company, Nobis Group, Middlesex Community College, Alpine Butcher, Align Credit Union, A.Fagundes Plumbing & Heating, Lowell Central Electric, Griffin Greenhouse Supplies, Salem Five Bank, Aberthaw Construction Company, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Waste Management.

About Mill City Grows
Mill City Grows believes when a community is given access to fresh food and knowledge of how to grow and prepare delicious, healthy meals, people will enjoy better quality of life and have a deeper connection to each other and their environment. Since 2011, MCG has worked towards food justice in Lowell through these dynamic hands-on programs and strategies: education in and out of schools, supporting community leadership through community gardens, urban farming, mobile markets, and empowering people to produce their own food. For more information on what’s growing in Lowell and how you can become a part of the city’s thriving local food movement, visit MillCityGrows.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ali Jacobs, Co-Executive Director
ali@millcitygrows.org
Phone: 413-636-8042