Green Team

Over the summer Green Team grew over 150 lbs of food at South St. alone, sold 200 lbs of food at the mobile markets, and donated over 100 lbs of food to local food pantries. We painted a data mural, organized a ribbon cutting to celebrate South Street Farm, and held 3 community volunteer days throughout the year. At the end of the summer we represented Somerville at Groundwork USA’s annual service project at Yellowstone National Park. Together and in teams, we installed 400 lb bear boxes, swept gravel out of natural geyser downspouts, and built trails. 

Much of the fall is being spent laying the foundations – the “groundwork” if you will – so that next year’s growing season will be even more successful. This season’s schoolyear Green Team began a few weeks ago. A major focus this year is peer education on topics relating to sustainability. Green Team give weekly presentations to each other and participate in constructive criticism workshops around themes of sustainability and permaculture.

Green Team is organizing and planning a volunteer day for this weekend, where community members will get a chance to join Green Team in working on South Street Farm. Venturing outside of Somerville, Green Team volunteered at Waltham Fields Community Farm, getting to participate in a slightly different model of sustainable, community-oriented agriculture. Green Team is also planning out the farm layout for the winter season and next spring, as well as working with landscape designers to plan the garden layout for our planned expansion of the farm to a neighboring lot – what we are calling South St. II. All of this farming requires money, so Green Team youth are rebuilding our population of red wriggler worms to have enough stock to sell our popular vermi-composting starter kits. They are also washing the soil off their hands for the more conventional activating of typing out grants requesting funding for South Street Farm. All in all, it is a shaping up to be a busy fall!

With the kick-off this summer’s Green Team, the first week of July ushered in a flurry of activity. We welcomed back returning Green Team youth and supervisors, met youth new to the program, and, of course, tuned up the donated bicycles that youth ride to the gardens where they work.  Some of these brave youth had never ridden a bicycle before, but soon they were pedaling along confidently, travelling all over the city on their own power.

South Street Farm and the Schoolyard Gardens are in full swing, producing lots of carrots, collards, beans, and even herbs like Lemon Balm to sell at the three Mobile Farmer’s Markets. These markets, a partnership with Shape-Up Somerville and a Western Massachusetts farm, provide healthy, affordable food to all Somerville residents. Before each market, youth harvest vegetables and get to work washing, bunching, and packing the produce. At markets, some youth sell the produce, while others practice outreach skills by going around the neighborhood and engaging with residents to let them know about the market.

Green Team members are also looking forward to the South Street Farm ribbon cutting, at 9:15 am on July 30^th. The event will celebrate Somerville’s first urban farm, as well as the completion of the on-site EcoShed, which features a rainwater harvesting roof system, a bicycle-powered water pump, and green wall, as well as storage and display space. Green Team youth, Somerville Mayor Curtatone, and Groundwork Somerville staff will speak at the event.

Links:

• Groundwork Somerville's website
• Groundwork Somerville featured in EcoMass News