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

GET FRESH, SEASONAL, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR LOWELL HOME OR OFFICE THROUGH MAY 2024!

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based food justice non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) has launched their 2023-2024 Winter CSA Farm Share season, which runs from October 26, 2023 – May 24, 2024. MCG’s Farm Share Veggie Box Program provides 32 weeks – distributed in 16 bi-weekly deliveries – of fresh, locally grown produce to persons living and/or working in Lowell. 

MCG’s Farm Share program was designed to provide produce, free of charge, to low-income households and those with chronic illness. CSA participation from paying customers allows Mill City Grows to sustain and grow their ability to provide farm shares to Lowell residents who are most often left out of the food system and could benefit greatly from eating more fresh produce. 

“By purchasing a Mill City Grows CSA Farm Share, you directly support MCG’s mission to provide fresh, local, sustainable produce to our neighbors in Lowell,” said Courtney McSparron, Mill City Grows director of education. “This strengthens community wellness and also helps urban farms to thrive.”

All the delicious produce included in each CSA Farm Share is grown by Mill City Grows in Lowell, MA, or is sourced locally from MCG’s partner farmers. In order to properly plan for the season, CSA participants must make a one-time payment in full for all 16 Farm Shares before deliveries can be made or before picking up their Farm Share in person. A one-time fee of $85 will be charged for the delivery option. An option to pick up Farm Shares in person is available for those living outside of Lowell or for those wishing to pick up their produce directly from Mill City Grows. Cost details are below:

Small Farm Share (feeds 2-3 people): $420 for 16 deliveries / pickups
Large Farm Share (feeds 4-6 people): $835 for 16 deliveries / pickups

Mill City Grows accepts cash or check for CSA payment, as well as credit and debit cards through our secure online payment portal. CSA participants can pick up their Farm Share on Thursdays (4pm-6pm) and Fridays (12pm-2pm) at Mill City Grows, 19 Hall Street, in Lowell. Pickup times and days may change slightly during the holiday season. 

For more information and to sign up for a Mill City Grows Winter CSA Farm Share, please visit MillCityGrows.org or go to https://tinyurl.com/MCGVeggies. For any questions, please contact James Tierney, Mill City Grows CSA Manager, at James@millcitygrows.org or call 978-455-2620.

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