MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS THEIR ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 24, AT THE UMASS LOWELL RIST URBAN AGRICULTURE GREENHOUSE!

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS THEIR ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 24, AT THE UMASS LOWELL RIST URBAN AGRICULTURE GREENHOUSE!

by | Apr 19, 2025 | Events, Featured Press, Home Gardening, Uncategorized

Event festivities include the Mill City Grows Mobile Farmers Market and visits from local vendors!

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) will host its Annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 24, from 10am to 2pm, at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Farm at 69 Pawtucket Street. Free parking is available on site at UMass Lowell’s East Campus Garage, 47 Pawtucket Street. An abundant variety of Lowell-grown herbs, vegetables, flowers, and fruit plants will be available for purchase at this free, public event. The Mill City Grows Mobile Market will be selling fresh, seasonal produce and attendees can visit with local vendors. 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. This year’s plant sale is presented in partnership by Mill City Grows and the UMass Lowell Department of Sustainability. Event updates are available at MillCityGrows.org 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. Additionally, MCG’s year-round CSA Farm Share Program increases access to fresh, nourishing produce, especially for SNAP/EBT clients. MCG’s 2025 Outdoor Mobile Farmers Market season launches on Tuesday, May 6, at Lowell Community Health Center. Visit MillCityGrows.org to view the full Mobile Market schedule and to purchase Summer CSA Farm Shares.

All the plants available at the plant sale were seeded and nurtured by Mill City Grows at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Farm, the location of the plant sale. The initial 1,800 square foot on-site 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 2025 Annual Event Sponsors: The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., Princeton Properties, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Enterprise Bank, Eastern Bank, Waste Management, Salem Five Bank, Northern Bank, Gallagher & Cavanaugh LLP, Market Basket, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Mahoney Oil Company, Alpine Butcher, A.Fagundes Plumbing & Heating, Middlesex Community College, Align Credit Union, Heritage Properties.


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
413-636-8042

MEDIA CONTACT:

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

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS THEIR 10TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, AT UMASS LOWELL UNIVERSITY CROSSING!

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS THEIR 10TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, AT UMASS LOWELL UNIVERSITY CROSSING!

by | Mar 4, 2025 | Events, Uncategorized

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS 10TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22, IN LOWELL MA

An exciting variety of herb, flower, vegetable, and fruit seeds will be available to take home at no cost – attendees are encouraged to bring seeds to share and swap!

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) hosts its 10th Annual Community Seed Swap on Saturday, March 22, from 11am to 1pm, at University Crossing at UMass Lowell, 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell MA. Free parking will be available across from the venue at UMass Lowell’s Salem Street Parking Lot, 294 Salem Street. Dozens of varieties of herb, flower, vegetable, and fruit seeds will be available for the public to choose from and take home free of charge. MCG staff and volunteers will be on hand to share tips and information on planting and growing. Attendees are invited to bring their own seeds to share on the day of the event and advance seed donations are especially welcomed. Please note: contributing seeds to the Seed Swap is not necessary in order to attend the event. To donate seeds in advance of March 22, please contact Trang Dong at Trang@millcitygrows.org or call 978-455-2620. 

In addition to the seed swap, Mill City Grows will also host their Annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 24, 10am – 2pm, at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse & Farm, 69 Pawtucket Street, Lowell MA. All plants and seedlings at the sale are seeded and grown in Lowell at the Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse & Farm, which supports MCG’s work to cultivate and protect citywide growing spaces.

Please visit MillCityGrows.org/events or call 978-455-2620 for details on these free, public events. For weather and event updates, please visit Mill City Grows on Facebook and Instagram.

MCG’s 10th Annual Community Seed Swap and Annual Spring Plant Sale are both integral citywide events that support food access efforts and unite Lowell’s thriving multicultural community. Free, public admission is made possible with the support of Mill City Grows’ Annual Sponsors (as of 3/4/25): Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Enterprise Bank, Waste Management, Salem Five Bank, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Mahoney Oil Company, Market Basket, Alpine Butcher, A. Fagundes Plumbing & Heating, Align Credit Union

Mill City Grows is grateful to Mahoney’s Garden Center and Territorial Seed Company for their generous donations of seeds.


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
413-636-8042

MEDIA CONTACT:

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

MILL CITY GROWS CELEBRATES THE FALL SEASON AT “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21!

MILL CITY GROWS CELEBRATES THE FALL SEASON AT “HARVEST DAY AT THE FARM” ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21!

by | Aug 19, 2024 | Events, Food Justice, Press Release

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.

###

 

 

Media Contact:
Ali Jacobs
Co-Executive Director
Ali@millcitygrows.org
413-636-8042

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, from 10AM-2PM

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 18, from 10AM-2PM

by | Apr 26, 2024 | Events, Food Justice, Press Release

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
413-636-8042

MEDIA CONTACT:

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

MILL CITY GROWS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

MILL CITY GROWS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

by | Dec 11, 2023 | Food Justice, Press Release

MILL CITY GROWS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP TRANSITION EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024

Jessica Wilson steps down as Executive Director — Dai Kim, Ali Jacobs, and Courtney McSparron
named as Co-Executive Directors

[LOWELL, MA] – Mill City Grows Executive Director Jessica Wilson announced today that she will be leaving her position at the close of the year. Wilson has led the Lowell-based food justice non-profit since January 2020. 

Wilson has been a part of the Mill City Grows team since the organization launched  in 2012. She served as founding Board President, joined the staff as a grant writer in 2016, and was promoted to Director of Development in 2018.  

Wilson helped to grow the organization’s budget from $500,000 in 2017 to $1.5M in 2023. She led the organization through the pandemic when MCG reimagined programming to provide more food to Lowell’s most underserved populations. Through her tenure, the organization expanded community gardens, established a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, and completed construction of the ROOT community kitchen. She has worked closely with local partners to support the transformation of Rollie’s Farm to the Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. 

“It’s been such an honor to be a part of the Mill City Grows leadership team. I grew up and spent so much time in Lowell throughout my life. Seeing the spaces where we work transformed from vacant lots to thriving gardens and farms has been such a joy. I am so excited that I have been able to make Lowell a better place for our community,” said Wilson.

Mill City Grows Board President John Wooding announced that the organization is transitioning to a collaborative leadership model. Three current staff, Dai Kim, Ali Jacobs, and Courtney McSparron will take on the roles of Co-Executive Directors. 

“Jessica has been part of Mill City Grows since its creation. As a Board member, and over the last five years as Executive Director, she has been an indispensable part of Mill City Grows. She saw us through the major challenges posed by the pandemic, helped maintain and develop our many robust and effective programs, and guided us in new initiatives. We will miss her greatly and all the many things she brought to Mill City Grows,” said Wooding. 

The three Co-Directors will lead in an innovative model, where decision-making will be done through consensus, while each leader will be able to focus on their core strengths, capacities, and expertise, while working collaboratively and supporting one another in service to food sovereignty in Lowell.

Mill City Grows was founded with a Co-Director model in 2011. In returning to and expanding on this model, Kim, Jacobs, and McSparron see this as an opportunity for leadership with complementing professional experience, diverse gender, racial, and cultural backgrounds from capable leaders with varied lived-experiences.

Each of the Co-Directors has extensive experience working in non-profit, food justice, and with the Lowell community. Kim has a long history with the organization since 2016, managing the Mobile Market program, volunteers, operations and returning in 2020 as the Director of Food Access. Jacobs has served as part of the MCG leadership team for over 4 years, and has more than  10 years experience in farm management and community gardens. Courtney McSparron joined in the role of Director of Education in 2022, and has worked for over 15 years as an educator and leader in school and non-profit settings. 

Speaking for the Co-Executive Directors, Courtney McSparron shared, “We are honored to be entrusted with this Lowell treasure. We look forward to continuing to support food and land access in Lowell. We are so very grateful to Jessica for bringing us all into this organization, supporting our development, and now giving us the opportunity to lead.” 

An open house event will be scheduled in the new year, welcoming the public to the Mill City Grows headquarters and providing an opportunity to meet the new Co-Executive Directors. 

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
413-636-8042

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jessica Wilson, Executive Director
jessica@millcitygrows.org
Phone: 508-423-7590


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

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