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 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

MILL CITY GROWS LAUNCHES INDOOR WINTER FARMERS MARKET SEASON IN LOWELL, MA

Indoor Mobile Markets are held at UMass Lowell’s University Crossing and at the Lowell Senior Center through April 2024

[LOWELL, MA] – Seasonal, locally grown produce is now available for purchase through April 2024 at Mill City Grows’ (MCG) Indoor Winter Farmers Markets at UMass Lowell University Crossing and the Lowell Senior Center. Shoppers can enjoy a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the City of Lowell as well as produce sourced from area farmers. Mill City Grows Mobile Markets accept SNAP/EBT, cash, credit, debit, WellSense, Apple Pay, and Mill City Grows E-Gift Cards for payment. All markets also accept HIP (Healthy Incentives Program), a SNAP benefit that provides $1 back for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables purchased directly from a HIP authorized farm or vendor. SNAP customers are encouraged to ask about HIP discounts while shopping.

Launched in June 2014, Mill City Grows’ Mobile Market Program strives to fulfill the organization’s mission to make nutritious, locally grown food affordable and accessible to all Lowell residents, especially those with limited mobility and access to grocery stores. The Program is supported in part by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Cummings Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., The City of Lowell, and Tufts Medicine Lowell General Hospital.

The full Indoor Winter Mobile Market schedule can be viewed and downloaded at MillCityGrows.org/mobile-markets, including multilingual schedules in Khmer, Spanish, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Lao, Haitian Creole, French, Kinyarwanda, and Pashto. Please follow Mill City Grows on Facebook and Instagram for any scheduling updates or call 978-455-2620. 

2023-2024 MILL CITY GROWS INDOOR WINTER FARMERS MARKET SCHEDULE

UMass Lowell University Crossing Lobby *
220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell
Select Wednesdays from 1pm – 4pm
December 13, 2023
January 10 & 24, 2024
February 7 & 21, 2024
March 6 & 20, 2024
April 3, 2024

* Parking is available at the Pawtucket Metered Lot across from University Crossing at 219 Pawtucket Street. View a Google Map.

Lowell Senior Center Cafeteria
276 Broadway Street, Lowell
Select Thursdays from 9am – 11:30am
December 14, 2023
January 11 & 25, 2024
February 8 & 22, 2024
March 7 & 21, 2024

About Mill City Grows
Mill City Grows fosters food justice by improving positive health outcomes, economic independence and environmental sustainability in Lowell, MA, through increased access to land, locally grown food, and education. We envision that Lowell will be known for its innovative approach to food production and food justice 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. For more information, visit millcitygrows.org.

Mill City Grows Mobile Market Contact:
Dai Kim (he/him) – Director of Food Access
Main Office: 978-455-2620
dai@millcitygrows.org

MILL CITY GROWS TO BENEFIT FROM PROJECT BREAD’S “MOVING THE NEEDLE” COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM

The two-year grant program is designed to support local community projects in Malden, New Bedford, Lynn, Lowell, Holyoke, and Worcester

[LOWELL, MA] – Mill City Grows has been awarded the first of two annual installments of $30,000 to support its commitment to eradicating hunger in Massachusetts. The “Moving the Needle” community investment program launched by Project Bread is designed for organizations addressing food insecurity with sustainable and systemic change. This initiative focuses on three key priority areas: Policy and Advocacy, Innovation, and Education to Expand the Reach of Federal Nutrition Programs.

Mill City Grows (MCG) is a food justice and urban agriculture organization based in Lowell, MA. MCG serves the Lowell community through urban farms, community and school gardens, mobile markets and a CSA program, and community education and advocacy.  The Moving the Needle grant will provide funding for the burgeoning Community Food Partnership of Lowell (CFP), a local food policy council. It will support the group in increasing membership and visibility; hosting community forums for food advocacy; establishing a community kitchen; and breaking down barriers to accessing food benefits by doubling the number of registered SNAP Outreach Partners in Lowell.

“This funding will support the long-term sustainability of the Community Food Partnership. This group, led by diverse community members, is ensuring that Lowell residents are an integral part of fighting hunger and creating community-based solutions in our food system,” said Enrique Vargas, Associate Director of Mill City Grows.

Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. The nonprofit engages residents, elected officials, and businesses to act against food insecurity so everyone in the Commonwealth has reliable access to food. The “Moving the Needle ” community investment strives to leverage people’s voices and experiences, local political will and efforts to fight food insecurity in their communities, like Mill City Grows. This is the second round of multi-year grants that Project Bread has distributed since 2021. Project Bread has also allocated the “Pathways to Change” community investment program this fall, awarding an additional $29,700 to 5 organizations in Fall River, Lawrence, and Chelsea to develop spaces for community conversations and engagement around food access.

“Investing in local communities is an essential way to make a lasting impact.” says Adriana Mendes-Sheldon, Director of Community Partnerships at Project Bread. “We believe in the power of community-led solutions. Our local partners and stakeholders are experts in addressing challenges and meeting their community’s unique needs. I’m excited to witness the innovative and transformative projects that arise from this opportunity and to see the progress it creates in the fight against food insecurity.”

The “Moving the Needle” competitive community investment grant program received multiple applications from the communities of Malden, New Bedford, Lynn, Lowell, Holyoke and Worcester. Project Bread has issued the Moving the Needle awards to four nonprofits. All organizations will join Project Bread’s Community of Practice, where organizations and community leaders gather to share expertise and knowledge to support and amplify each other’s strengths, knowledge and resources.

People experiencing food insecurity should call into Project Bread’s toll-free FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential assistance to connect with food resources, including SNAP benefits, in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org/get-help.

About Mill City Grows
Mill City Grows fosters food justice by improving positive health outcomes, economic independence and environmental sustainability in Lowell, MA, through increased access to land, locally grown food, and education. We envision that Lowell will be known for its innovative approach to food production and food justice 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. For more information, visit www.millcitygrows.org.

About Project Bread

Project Bread, the leading statewide food security nonprofit, connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food, while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.

Project Bread Media Contact:
Sarah Zhitnik
PH: 781-999-0604
sarah@teakmedia.com