The Serving Ourselves Farm at Boston's Long Island Shelter
The Serving Ourselves Farm at Boston's Long Island Shelter helps feed hungry bodies, minds, and spirits. The Farm is a 4-acre organic farm including 2.5 acres of vegetables and herbs, as well as fruit trees, laying hens, and an apiary located on Long Island on Boston Harbor. Baystate Organic Certifiers certifies the Farm organic and recognizes it as using
environmentally sound and sustainable agricultural practices.
Each year, The Farm produces 25,000 pounds of beautiful, first
harvest produce (eggs and honey too) for the over 800 homeless individuals we serve each day
and has a tremendous impact on the quality of food the individuals
in our shelters and programs receive.
Beside delicious and nutritious produce for the people we serve, The
Farm also provides hands-on job training, work-readiness skills, life
skills and education for homeless individuals as part of the Serving Ourselves
Job Training Program. Participants learn all aspects of food production;
soil preparation, a variety of planting techniques, tending the plants,
pest control, harvesting and marketing their produce at local farmers
markets.
The Farm also gives those in the Culinary Arts track of Serving Ourselves
the opportunity to work with a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, and
learn skills that would otherwise not be possible due to prohibitive cost,
like pickling, drying, and cooking with fresh herbs.
The experience gained in these programs has led to permanent, gainful
employment in the restaurant, food, horticulture and landscaping industries.
For example, one employee started a landscaping business, one went to work with a well-known florist in Boston and another pursued her education
and employment in floriculture.
In the spirit of feeding hungry bodies, minds, and spirits, about 20% of the Farm's bounty is also sold at Farmers Markets in Boston and at Dorchester House in Dorchester which serve an ethnically-diverse and largely low income population and accept EBT and WIC coupons.
In addition, some of Boston's most renowned restaurant purchase the Farm's produce, including Hamersley's Bistro, Ashmont Grill, Tavolo, and Barbara Lynch Gruppo to help raise funds for The Farm.
The Farm provides wonderful volunteer opportunities for individuals
and for corporate, church or college community service projects. Land clearing,
planting and harvesting while working side-by-side with program participants
is a rewarding experience for all. If you, your company or school would
like to volunteer for a day (or two) on our organic farm, please contact
Marianna Bucina at (617) 942-8671 or via email at mariannbucina@fobh.org Individual volunteers under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
You can also support The Farm and help feed hungry bodies, minds, and spirits through our Adoption Program!
Adopt-a-Row (of veggies): $10
Adopt-a-Laying Hen: $25
Adopt-a-Fruit Tree: $50
Adopt-a-Hive: $100
Adopt Here!
