MILL CITY GROWS WELCOMES THE PUBLIC TO A “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” CELEBRATION ON THEIR BIG URBAN FARM IN LOWELL

MILL CITY GROWS WELCOMES THE PUBLIC TO A “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” CELEBRATION ON THEIR BIG URBAN FARM IN LOWELL

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS FIRST-EVER “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” FAMILY CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

The organization’s Big Urban Farm in Lowell opens to the general public for the first time with family-friendly activities, farm tours, a fall plant sale, and more!

[LOWELL, MA]Lowell-based food justice non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) welcomes the general public to their Big Urban Farm in Lowell’s Pawtucketville neighborhood on the first day of fall in New England! All are invited to celebrate the season at a “Harvest Day at the Farm” on Saturday, September 23, from 1-4pm, at 1001 Pawtucket Boulevard. 

This free, family-friendly event includes farm tours, opportunities to meet local growers, kids games and activities, wildlife demonstrations, local food, touch-a-tractor, PLUS a Fall Plant Sale presented by Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, the event’s Banner Sponsor. The Mill City Grows Mobile Market will also be on site selling fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies, most of which are grown and harvested at MCG’s Big Urban Farm. “Harvest Day at the Farm” takes place rain or shine, and is free and open to the public. Details are available at MillCityGrows.org, at Facebook.com/millcitygrows, or by calling 978-455-2620.

“We can’t wait to welcome our neighbors to enjoy a day at the farm with us and celebrate nature, the harvest, and food!” said Jessica Wilson, Mill City Grows Executive Director. “There will be so much for people to experience and discover. Thousands of pounds of food is grown here every year and then given right back to the residents of Lowell. This first-ever event is a great opportunity to bring community members to the space to see where and how their fresh food is grown.”

In addition to their Big Urban Farm, Mill City Grows’ Food Access Program provides land, education, and opportunities for Lowell residents to grow fresh food at more than 27 School and Community Gardens across Lowell. Complete details on MCG’s Urban Farm, Community Gardens, and School Gardens Programs can be found at MillCityGrows.org. 

MCG’s “Harvest Day at the Farm” is made possible by the generous support of Mill City Grows 2023 Annual Event Sponsors: Bank of America, Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Cummings Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., Symmetri, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Princeton Properties, Verizon, Enterprise Bank, Tufts Medicine/Lowell General Hospital, Eastern Bank, Workers Credit Union. 

Additional event sponsors include: UKG, Waste Management, Greater Lowell Health Alliance, Griffin Greenhouse Supply, Nobis Group, Bootstrap Compost, Align Credit Union, Mahoney Oil Company, Gallagher & Cavanaugh LLP, Market Basket, Aberthaw Construction, KJ’s Caffe, Walmart, Middlesex Community College.

About Mill City Grows

For the past 10 years, Mill City Grows (MCG) has worked towards food justice in Lowell, Massachusetts, using the following strategies and programs: education in and out of schools, supporting community leadership through community gardens, increasing urban agriculture through urban farming, implementing a mobile market, and empowering people to produce their own food. MCG infuses food production spaces with food education to support their belief that a community that understands how to grow, access, and prepare healthy food will have better quality of life and deeper investment in their local environment. Visit MillCityGrows.org to learn more, and follow MCG on Facebook and Instagram.

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Contact:
Jessica Moore-Wilson, Executive Director
Jessica@millcitygrows.org
978-455-2620
MillCityGrows.org

A NEW FUTURE FOR ROLLIE’S FARM IN LOWELL

A NEW FUTURE FOR ROLLIE’S FARM IN LOWELL

LOCAL LAND TRUSTS AND FOOD JUSTICE ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCE PLANS TO PRESERVE HISTORIC LOWELL FARM

Contacts:

Jane Calvin, Executive Director – Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
jcalvin@LowellLandTrust.org
978-934-0030
www.LowellLandTrust.org

 

Bob Wilber, Director of Land Conservation Mass Audubon
bwilber@massaudubon.org
781-925-2155
www.massaudubon.org

 

Jessica Wilson, Executive Director – Mill City Grows
jessica@MillCityGrows.org
978-455-2620
MillCityGrows.org

Lowell’s “Rollie’s Farm” slated to become a wildlife sanctuary and premiere site for urban agriculture and environmental education. 

[LOWELL, MA] – Three organizations — Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, Mass Audubon, and Mill City Grows — are working in partnership to protect a historic Lowell farm, owned by the Perron family, and known locally as Rollie’s Farm. The farm is located at 1413 and 1415 Varnum Avenue. The intent of the partnership is to create an urban wildlife sanctuary and education center dedicated to local agricultural and community-based environmental education.  

The two Varnum Avenue parcels have been operated for years as a Christmas tree farm. When acquired, the parcels, comprising ~20 acres, will be managed in perpetuity as protected conservation land, open to the public. Construction of an energy efficient green building, with office and program space for the three partner organizations, is planned on the site. 

Mass Audubon and the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) will acquire these parcels which will have conservation restrictions placed on them. Both Mass Audubon and LP&CT are nationally accredited as land trusts committed to permanent land conservation and program excellence. 

Mill City Grows will establish a variety of programs on the space, including urban agriculture, community gardens, greenhouses, a food forest, farmer’s markets, and educational programming. 

“Establishing this community space will give Mill City Grows the opportunity to bring many of our food access and education programs to a single location, creating a way for people to envision and engage with all of the parts of a local food system, and intertwine them with excellent environmental education delivered by our partners. It’s a step towards greater food sovereignty for Lowell,” says Jessica Wilson, Executive Director of Mill City Grows. 

“This unique partnership provides the opportunity for community-based conservation on a larger scale, enabling us to impact more people close to home.  We’re excited to expand our programming and amplify our land conservation and environmental education programming for the greater Lowell community,” says Jane Calvin, Executive Director of the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust.

“During the pandemic, it has become obvious to us all just how important nature is for our health and well-being, as well as for addressing the threats of climate change,” said David J. O’Neill, President of Mass Audubon. “Protecting and enhancing Rollie’s Farm is especially important as we focus on providing more green space and greater access to nature in urban communities—work that can only be done with the type of deep partnerships this important project represents.”

The uplands will provide woodland trails for recreation, a scenic overlook, a nature playscape for children, and a connection to the Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsborough State Forest. These properties, combined, provide a critical corridor to the Merrimack River from the state forest. The protection of this land will provide benefits that expand beyond just the neighborhood of Pawtucketville and will benefit the city as a whole.  

 

About Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust

Since 1990, the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) has provided conservation leadership in Lowell, Massachusetts. LP&CT was founded by residents with a vision to protect the natural resources upon which the city of Lowell was built. LP&CT is a nationally accredited land trust and focuses on creating community through conservation by providing programs that focus on four major areas: land protection, stewardship, environmental education, and special places. Join us for an upcoming program. Learn more at LowellLandtrust.org, or at Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.  

 

About Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon protects more than 40,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all. As Massachusetts’ largest nature conservation nonprofit, we welcome more than a half million visitors a year to our wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. From inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes, serene woods, and working farms, we believe in protecting our state’s natural treasures for wildlife and for all people—a vision shared in 1896 by our founders, two extraordinary Boston women.

Today, Mass Audubon is a nationally recognized environmental education leader, offering thousands of camp, school, and adult programs that get over 225,000 kids and adults outdoors every year. With more than 135,000 members and supporters, we advocate on Beacon Hill and beyond, and conduct conservation research to preserve the natural heritage of our beautiful state for today’s and future generations. We welcome you to explore a nearby sanctuary, find inspiration, and get involved. Learn how at massaudubon.org

 

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Contact:
Katherine Davis, Mill City Grows Director of Development
Katherine@millcitygrows.org
978-455-2620
MillCityGrows.org

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