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Youth. Food. Community.
Announcing Acting Executive Director James Harrison
Departing Executive Director Selvin Chambers (right) and newly appointed Acting Executive Director J. Harrison (left) pictured together on the Baker Bridge Farm in Lincoln, MA.
Starting October 6, James (J.) Harrison, North Shore Regional Director and ten-year veteran of The Food Project, will step in as Acting Executive Director for the departing Executive Director, Selvin Chambers, who has taken a role with The Trustees of Reservations. “The Food Project is a place of growth, transformation, and hope. It’s an honor to serve as the Acting Executive Director," Harrison said. Chambers leaves The Food Project after a successful tenure
which included the establishment of an effective new regional model for programs and service, as well as the implementation of significant improvements to its curriculum. "What we have accomplished over the last several years has fundamentally improved the way we serve and partner with communities," Chambers said. The Food Project's Board of Trustees is conducting a national search for a permanent executive director.
Bringing food system change to Dudley By Sutton Kiplinger Are you satisfied with the food options in the Dudley neighborhood? What is most important to you when making choices about food to buy and eat? With these questions, youth from The Food Project and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) surveyed 90 residents at block parties and community events this summer about how the local food system in Boston’s Dudley neighborhood works for them. From the surveys came significant insights: price motivates Dudley residents’ buying decisions most strongly, while organic options and convenience tied for a close second. Fast food dominates respondents’ non-grocery food purchases, though only three percent of residents want more fast food available in the neighborhood. Fresh produce consistently tops the list of what respondents wished there were more of locally. Each survey sparked a lively conversation, showing this neighborhood cares deeply about food. The youths’ efforts are part of a community food planning process —the first of its kind in the city of
Youth from The Food Project and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative survey Dudley neighborhood residents about their eating choices.
Boston—which kicked off in Dudley this past summer. Led by DSNI, in collaboration with The Food Project and Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE), the process aims to surface residents’ priorities around food, articulate a vision, and develop initial action steps over the next six months. A steering committee of neighborhood residents and business owners guides the process, framing the questions, interpreting data, and convening additional neighbors to participate. The Dudley neighborhood has long experienced the ramifications of a food system built for profit, at the
expense of the well-being of people and land. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the neighborhood’s vulnerability to food insecurity and ill health, making even today’s “cheap” food more expensive. However, the Dudley food planning process allows for a different vision. With this process, the Dudley neighborhood is taking steps to increase control of its local food system and offer a model for how other communities might do the same. The Food Project is honored to partner in the effort, and we invite you to follow along when we post the survey results in the future.
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