Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** mill city grows (MCG) works…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** mill city grows (MCG) works toward food justice in lowell, MA. Our programs connect food access, food education, and advocacy, as we bring people together to grow and learn in community. We envision that lowell will be known for its innovative approach to food production where residents are engaged actors in creating a food secure community that promotes the ability to grow, consume, and distribute healthy, locally produced food on land that is seen as a vital resource for the community and is protected for food production.based on the recommendations of our 2022 community food assessment, this project will focus on 4 main areas of work: increase food security in lowell; increase public access to growing space in lowell; increase local food system resilience; and improve the social determinants of health for lowell residents. Outcomes will include increasing education points at markets and events; increasing access to fresh produce; adding 1.8 acres of publicly accessible growing space; providing 200+ families with a CSA; educating families on snap/HIP; creating a year-round farm stand; developing culturally connected cooking curriculum with 20+ classes a year.community led programming is crucial to our ongoing success and an integral part of the project. We will be working with the newly created lowell food policy council, local growers from socially disadvantaged groups, and low income residents. This project will improve the social determinants of health for lowell residents by increasing resilience and food security in the local food system.