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Brighter futures: The Urban Farming Institute grows Bostonians’ food access and well-being
From a personal health crisis to a community-wide impact, Apolo Cátala’s journey with the Urban Farming Institute's farmer training program illustrates how urban farming transforms lives and strengthens neighborhoods.
AS SEEN IN THE BOSTON CITY PAPER (PAGE 7)
Historic Urban Farm in the Heart of Mattapan Gets New Owners — Its Tenants
MATTAPAN, MA: The Urban Farming Institute is celebrated the recent purchase of the historic Fowler Clark Epstein Farm in the heart of Mattapan. At a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place on Thursday, June 13th, UFI welcomed elected officials, philanthropic supporters, community partners and residents for an afternoon of arts, activities, music and, of course, food. Fowler Clark Epstein Farm is located at 487 Norfolk Street, Mattapan MA 02126
Urban Farming Institute (UFI), established in 2011, operates six urban farms across Boston's Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan .. neighborhoods.
Its mission is to combat food insecurity, limited access to fresh produce and the decline of community connections through the development and promotion of urban farming practices.
UFl's Fowler Clark Epstein farm, an 1 B"' century farmland located in the heart of Mattapan, was originally purchased from the City of Boston in 2015 by Historic Boston Incorporated (HBI).
HBI spearheaded a $3.8 million restoration project allowing the Urban Farming Institute to occupy the site, manage the space, and expand its urban farming footprint.
In 2020, UFJ launched a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase the farm from HSI. In January of 2024. having successfully exceeded the original goal of $2.6M, UFI purchased the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm which serves as its headquarters.
"The farm is home to us and has become a special center for our farmers and our neighbors," said President & CEO, Pat Spence. "Fresh food is vital to a healthy community and from this place we share our bounty and teach the principles of cultivation and growth. The future of this historic place is bright because so many people gave selflessly to do more than we'd have been able to do by ourselves."
The Fowler Clark Epstein Farm cultivates crops including kale, corn, collard greens and herbs, as well as food that is culturally relevant for the neighborhood's many Caribbean immigrants, such as callaloo, okra, and Aleppo peppers.
Urban Farming lnstitute's robust programming includes its Farmer Training Program, a curriculum for aspiring farmers that includes various aspects of urban agriculture: fitness and healthy eating programs, like Fil Around the Farm, targeting seniors, particularly women of color: workshops, such as Food is Medicine; youth outreach and education, including programing that combines urban agriculture and social justice learning; and its signature Farm Stand Fridays, a weekly' farmer's market that runs from June to November each year,
In 2020, the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm received the prestigious Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award, which recognizes and celebrates the best preservation projects in the nation.
About The Urban Farming Institute
Urban Farming Institute (UFI) was formed in 2011 out of a vision for a better local food system for the residents of Boston's Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods.
UFI is an innovator and leader in the urban farming movement, playing an instrumental role in the passage of Article 89, which legalized commercial farming in Boston. UFI built Boston's first Article 89 farm.
UFl's farms bring affordable produce into neighborhoods where healthy food is scarce and promote urban climate resilience. UFI partners with local schools and community organizations, and hosts community events to teach residents about the importance of nutrition, healthy living, and how to grow their own food.
UFJ contributes to economic and environmental resilience by localizing the food system and training residents on how to steward the land.
Building a healthier, locally based food system is at the heart of UFl's mission. As the momentum around greening cities, eliminating health disparities, and developing more sustainable solutions for urban economic development, urban farming is quickly emerging into a viable solution. Visit www.urbanfarminginstitute.org for more information.
On Monday, August 12th, UFI hosted Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner, Ashley Randle, along with approximately 200 people from across the country for the first Massachusetts Urban Agriculture Week. Our visitors were eager to learn more about urban farming and we were excited to highlight how UFI's programs also promote health, wellness, and education.
We were honored to have been one of the stops on this weeklong tour celebrating urban agriculture across the state. For this inaugural event, MDAR will release its 10-year report on funding for urban food production that will highlight the importance of urban farming and its impact on food security, climate change mitigation, and community wellness. We thank you all for your fellowship and continued support of this movement.
The Urban Farming Institute of Boston (UFI) along with staff, board and the community celebrated the recent purchase of the historic Fowler Clark Epstein Farm in the heart of Mattapan.
“The farm is home to us and has become a special center for our farmers and our neighbors,” said President & CEO, Pat Spence. “Fresh food is vital to a healthy community and from this place we share our bounty and teach the principles of cultivation and growth. The future of this historic place is bright because so many people gave selflessly to do more than we’d have been able to do by ourselves,” said Spence.
Urban Farming Institute Purchases Historical Fowler Clark Epstein Farm
We are proud to announce that we, the Urban Farming Institute (UFI), have purchased the 1786 Fowler Clark Epstein Farm at 487 Norfolk Ave in Mattapan - a property redeveloped by Historic Boston Inc. (HBI) for UFI in 2018. The restored property serves as headquarters and the now-permanent home for UFI’s mission of building healthy communities through the development of urban farms and food production.
“The farm is home to us and has become a special center for our farmers and our neighbors,” said President and CEO of UFI, Pat Spence. “Fresh food is vital to a healthy community and from this place we share our bounty and teach the principles of cultivation and growth.” The purchase was finalized on January 12, 2024 for the sum of $1.4 million. The property includes an educational center, a greenhouse, office space, a farm stand, classrooms, and a teaching kitchen. UFI actively grows a wide variety of food on the site, such as, okra, collard greens, tomatoes, kale, and callaloo; all items in high demand in our community.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our partners, our funders, and to you, our UFI family. As Pat said, herself, "the future of this historic place is bright because so many people gave selflessly to do more than we’d have been able to do by ourselves.” We couldn't do this without your continued love, support and generosity.
Thank you Brother Mel - A Green Legacy
The Urban Farming Institute of Boston (UFI) would like to thank Former State Representative Melvin H. King for his love, his investment, and his many efforts as one of our 2013 founding board members. Like many other community-based organizations UFI grew from an earlier concept that Brother Mel believed in and nurtured. He gave UFI advice that is embedded in its DNA-- from the simple “You don’t call it a Board Retreat if you want to go places—Call it a Board Advance” to the deeply-felt, “Find ways to collaborate, never forget that we’re doing this work to help grow food and feed people”.
He came to endless board meetings and every UFI conference sharing his wisdom and his great hugs. He helped UFI connect with people throughout the city who became strong allies in reframing urban farming and keeping land locally stewarded in our BIPOC communities. He gave pointers about drafting legislation and public policy to make certain it would benefit those who really needed advocates. He was proud of UFI as it became successful, and he was clear that it should strive for service and excellence. Dear Brother Mel, we are so appreciative of your time and investment. UFI sends its sympathy to your family, and we thank them for all the hours they lent you to the community. UFI, like other organizations, certainly needed your steady hand. May you rest with the ancestors.
NEWS > LOCAL NEWS
Urban farmers try to adapt to the heat, and pick crops that can do the same
Urban Farm Institute sets up its Friday farmstand at Fowler Farm in Mattapan on Friday, July 19, 2024.
Rebeca Pereira / GBH News
July 19, 2024
For youth volunteers at Glenway Farm in Dorchester, the protocol for weeding and harvesting garlic in extreme weather conditions is clear cut: get in and get out. There are few buildings or shaded areas on the farm that growers can retreat into, and the absence of trees on surrounding streets provides no respite from the scorching sun.
Tristram Keefe, a farm manager at the Urban Farming Institute of Boston who supervised the youth visit to Glenway, said the farm is regarded among growers as the “hottest place on Earth.”