Wenham Land doubling our impact In April we signed the lease for 34 acres of farmland in Wenham, Massachusetts, nearly doubling our acreage. After a competitive process, The Town of Wenham awarded The Food Project this long-term lease based on our track record of land stewardship and sustainable agriculture. This summer, we began the process of restoring the health of the soil by planting a cover crop of buckwheat, which was very popular with bees, soil microorganisms, and neighbors alike! Rye and vetch were planted in the fall to continue to build the soil through the spring. In our tenth year on the North Shore, the addition of this new farm fundamentally changes the scale of our farming operations. This land sets the stage for expanding our youth programs on the North Shore to hire more young people, provide increased employment opportunities, and, of course, grow thousands of pounds more food that is distributed to those in need. This
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land is in need of intensive rehabilitation before being productively farmed, and we seek to restore the health of this farm through proven methods for increasing organic soil matter. Once fully restored, the addition of the Wenham Farm to The Food Project’s land will greatly increase the impact we have on the communities we serve. For young people in need of employment, we will have the capacity to accommodate more positions working on our farms in our transformative youth programs. For those who struggle with food insecurity, we will grow and distribute tens of thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy food beyond what we are already growing. And for the land itself, we will restore its health in order for it to provide a healthy, nutritious environment for many crops to come. Our integrated approach ensures that our youth serve those in need, and gain something valuable in the process.