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

by | Aug 25, 2023 | Events, Food Justice, Press Release

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.

###

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

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

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 20 FROM 10AM-2PM

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 20 FROM 10AM-2PM

by | Apr 13, 2023 | Events, Home Gardening, Press Release, School Gardens

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE ON SATURDAY, MAY 20, FROM 10AM TO 2PM

Dozens of locally grown plant varieties will be available for sale, including flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit!

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) will host its Annual Spring Plant Sale outdoors on Saturday, May 20, from 10am to 2pm, at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Farm at 91 Pawtucket Street. Free parking is available on site at UMass Lowell’s East Campus Garage. An abundant variety of Lowell-grown seedlings – herbs, vegetables, flowers, and fruit – will be available for purchase at this free, public event. Additionally, guests can purchase fresh, seasonal produce from the Mill City Grows Mobile Market and visit the Bootstrap Compost information table to learn more about composting. Attendees may use cash, debit, and credit, to purchase plants, and SNAP/HIP will be accepted for fruit and vegetable plants. All proceeds from the plant sale 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, as well as the Mobile Market, are both integral parts of Mill City Grows’ Food Access Programs. The 2023 Outdoor Mobile Market season launches on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The full Mobile Market schedule is available at MillCityGrows.org.

All the plants available at the event – including tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, squash, kale, broccoli, husk cherries, basil, cilantro, parsley, and pollinator flowers – were seeded and nurtured by Mill City Grows at UMass Lowell’s Rist Urban Agriculture Farm, the location of the plant sale. The 1,800 square foot greenhouse on the farm site was built in 2017 in partnership between UMass Lowell’s Office of Sustainability and Mill City Grows, and operates year-round. 

The Mill City Grows Annual Spring Plant Sale is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of MCG’s 2023 Annual Event Sponsors: The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., Microdesk, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Princeton Properties, Verizon, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Lowell General Hospital, Eastern Bank, Griffin Greenhouse Supply, Bootstrap Compost, Aberthaw Construction, Mahoney Oil Company, Gallagher & Cavanaugh, LLP, Market Basket, Align Credit Union.

 

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.

###

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

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

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS 8TH ANNUAL SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS 8TH ANNUAL SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18

by | Mar 13, 2023 | Events, Press Release

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS 8TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY SEED SWAP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18, FROM 10AM TO 1PM

 

More than 1,000 free seed packets will be available to the public, including flower, herb, fruit, and vegetable seeds!

 

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) hosts its 8th Annual Seed Swap in person and outdoors on Saturday, March 18, from 10am to 1pm, in the parking lot at MCG’s headquarters at 19 Hall Street, Lowell. The highly anticipated Seed Swap kicks off MCG’s annual events and celebrates the spring growing season by making a variety of seeds available to the community at no cost. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 seed packets for their home, school, or community gardens. Information about Mill City Grows’ Community Garden Program will be available, as well as MCG’s CSA Farm Share Program, Mobile Markets, and Farm to Table Cooking Classes. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors to Mill City Grows’ ROOT Kitchen, also at 19 Hall Street. Event organizers respectfully request that attendees wear masks while at the Seed Swap.  

Mill City Grows is grateful to the following seed organizations and businesses who have generously donated seeds for distribution to the community (as of March 1): American Meadows, Burpee Gardens, Fruition Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Peaceful Valley, Renee’s Garden.

The Annual Seed Swap is free and open to the public, thanks to the generosity of Mill City Grows’ 2023 Annual Event Sponsors (as of March 1): The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Charitable Foundation, Plenus Group, Inc., Microdesk, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Princeton Properties, Verizon, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Griffin Greenhouse Supply, Bootstrap Compost, Aberthaw Construction, Mahoney Oil Company, Gallagher & Cavanaugh, LLP. 

Limited handicapped parking is available at 19 Hall Street. Additional parking is available in metered spots on Suffolk Street. For more information, please contact Chaya Sophon at Chaya@millcitygrows.org or call 978-455-2620. Event updates will be posted on the 2023 Seed Swap Facebook Event. 

 

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, Twitter, and Instagram.

###

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

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

MILL CITY GROWS WELCOMES AWARD-WINNING LOWELL PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER & AUTHOR, JESSICA LANDER

by | Oct 2, 2022 | Events, Press Release

MILL CITY GROWS PRESENTS AWARD-WINNING LOWELL PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND AUTHOR JESSICA LANDER, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2022, AT LALA BOOKS

Ms. Lander will read from and discuss her new book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) is proud to host this poignant and timely conversation and discussion with Lowell Public School teacher and author Jessica Lander on Thursday, October 13, from 5pm – 7pm at lala books, 189 Market Street, Lowell. Ms. Lander will read from and discuss her newest book, Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education, which will be officially released on October 4, 2022. Advanced copies of Making Americans are available for pre-order at lala books at https://www.lalabookstore.com. The event is FREE and open to the public, and is the final event presented in commemoration of MCG’s 10-year Anniversary. For complete details, please visit MillCityGrows.org or call 978-455-2620.

A compelling read for everyone who cares about America’s future, Making Americans brims with innovative ideas for educators and policy-makers across the country. Setting out from her classroom, Ms. Lander takes the reader on a powerful and urgent journey to understand what it takes for immigrant students to become Americans. She shares stories of innovative schools working with immigrant-origin students and unearths the history of cases and laws that have transformed schools. Ms. Lander also profiles some of her remarkable Lowell High School immigrant students. 

 To learn more about Jessica Lander and her complete list of published works, please visit JessicaLander.com. 

 “Mill City Grows Presents Author Jessica Lander” marks the conclusion of the organization’s 10 signature events in 2022 throughout the City of Lowell commemorating MCG’s 10-Year Anniversary. In 2012, MCG launched a single community garden at Rotary Club Park in Lowell’s Back Central neighborhood. After a decade of working with residents, businesses, and city officials, the organization now manages 24 school and community gardens, more than five acres of Urban Farm land, and a range of food distribution and food education programs that engage over 15,000 residents per year. Mill City Grows is committed to ensuring that local foods, from our own urban farms and sourced from other regional growers, is accessible to residents of all income levels. 

Mill City Grows’ 10th Anniversary Celebration is made possible with the generosity of MCG’s 10th Anniversary Event Sponsors: Bank of America, The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Foundation, Jim Waldo & Susan Mitchell, Plenus Group, Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Microdesk, Verizon Foundation, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, Enterprise Bank, and Eastern Bank. Additional support is provided by the Mass Cultural Council. Mill City Grows is a recipient of the Cummings Foundation $25 Million Grant Program. 

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, Twitter, and Instagram.

###

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

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

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS “A TOAST TO THE HARVEST” FOOD ACCESS FUNDRAISER ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

by | Aug 24, 2022 | Events, Fundraising, Press Release

MILL CITY GROWS HOSTS “A TOAST TO THE HARVEST” CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER FOR FOOD ACCESS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Tickets are now available at MillCityGrows.org for MCG’s first in-person fundraiser since 2019

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) continues to commemorate its 10-year Anniversary with a special series of events throughout 2022. Marking MCG’s first in-person fundraiser in three years, “A Toast to the Harvest” will be held on Friday, September 23 from 6pm to 8pm, outdoors on the lawn behind the Tsongas Center (300 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way). Tickets are now on sale at MillCityGrows.org with all proceeds benefitting MCG’s Food Access & Education Programs in Lowell. The event will also celebrate the organization’s ongoing citywide partnerships which have been instrumental to MCG’s impactful food justice work and ten-year history in the community. 

“Connecting in person with our supporters, volunteers, and program participants is adding to our excitement and anticipation,” says Mill City Grows Executive Director Jessica Moore-Wilson. “Creating sustainable pathways to healthy food access in our community takes all of us working together. This event is an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate this unified effort, and invite the public to join us for the next exciting phase of our organization.”

Mill City Grows’ “A Toast to the Harvest” Fall Fundraiser is part of 10 signature events in 2022 throughout the City of Lowell commemorating MCG’s 10-Year Anniversary. Mill City Grows started as a single community garden in Lowell’s Rotary Club Park in the Back Central neighborhood. After a decade of working with residents, businesses, and city officials, MCG now manages 24 school and community gardens, more than five acres of Urban Farm land, and a range of food distribution and food education programs that engage over 15,000 residents per year. Mill City Grows is committed to ensuring that local foods, from our own urban farms and sourced from other regional growers, is accessible to residents of all income levels. 

As MCG enters its next phase of operations in the City of Lowell, the organization is beginning a planning process in partnership with Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust and Mass Audubon to protect Lowell’s historic Rollie’s Farm by creating an urban wildlife sanctuary, farm, and education center for the community. The public is invited to an upcoming Community Listening and Visioning Session on Wednesday, September 7, from 6pm-8pm at UMass Lowell’s Coburn Hall, to learn more about the Rollie’s Farm Project and share ideas for its future. Details are available at MillCityGrows.org or by calling 978-455-2620.

Mill City Grows’ 10th Anniversary Celebration is made possible with the generosity of MCG’s 10th Anniversary Event Sponsors: Bank of America, The Nancy L. and Richard K. Donahue Foundation, Jim Waldo & Susan Mitchell, Plenus Group, Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Microdesk, Verizon Foundation, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, and Enterprise Bank. Additional support is provided by the Mass Cultural Council. Mill City Grows is a recipient of the Cummings Foundation $25 Million Grant Program. 

 

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, Twitter, and Instagram.

###

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

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

“CHOOSE YOUR BIKE ADVENTURE” WITH MILL CITY GROWS & THE BIKE CONNECTOR ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25

by | Jun 10, 2022 | Events, Press Release

“CHOOSE YOUR BIKE ADVENTURE” WITH MILL CITY GROWS AND TOUR LOWELL’S GROWING SPACES BY BICYCLE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 25, FROM 1PM-3PM

Self-guided bicycle tours start at North Common Community Garden and include bike tune-ups with The Bike Connector

[LOWELL, MA] – Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG) is partnering with The Bike Connector for “Choose Your Own Bike Adventure,” an afternoon of self-guided bicycle tours of Lowell’s gardens, farms, and urban agricultural spaces in commemoration of MCG’s 10th Anniversary. The event takes place from 1pm-3pm and starts at North Common Community Garden, 465 Fletcher Street in Lowell. Attendees are invited to bring their bicycles and visit with volunteers from The Bike Connector who will be on site to help with bicycle tune-ups and bike repair questions. Tour maps featuring bike routes created for different cycling levels will be available, and complimentary snacks will be provided by Golden Girl Granola. Attendees must provide their own bicycles, bring water for hydration, and should wear good-fitting helmets. The event is free and open to the public. Event details are available at MillCityGrows.org and on the Facebook event page. For more information, please contact Enrique Vargas at Enrique@millcitygrows.org or call 978-455-2620.

The self-guided bicycle tours will include stops at the following spaces:

Mill City Grows staff and volunteers will be stationed at each urban agricultural tour site to answer questions and share information. 

Mill City Grows’ “Choose Your Bike Adventure” is one of 10 signature events in 2022 throughout the City of Lowell commemorating MCG’s 10-Year Anniversary. Mill City Grows started as a single community garden in Lowell’s Rotary Park in the Back Central neighborhood. After a decade of working with residents, businesses, and city officials, MCG now manages 24 school and community gardens, more than five acres of Urban Farm land, and a range of food distribution and food education programs that engage over 15,000 residents per year. Mill City Grows is committed to ensuring that local foods, from our own urban farms and sourced from other regional growers, is accessible to residents of all income levels. 

MCG’s 10th Anniversary Celebration is made possible with the generosity of Mill City Grows’ 10th Anniversary Event Sponsors: Bank of America, Nancy L. Donahue, Jim Waldo & Susan Mitchell, Plenus Group, Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Microdesk, Verizon Foundation, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, and Enterprise Bank. Additional support is provided by the Mass Cultural Council. MCG is a recipient of the Cummings Foundation $25 Million Grant Program. 

 

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, Twitter, and Instagram.

###

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

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

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