The Urban Farming Institute of Boston (UFI) is a visionary urban agriculture organization that has accomplished incredible things since its founding in 2011. It is committed to social justice and to bringing affordable, healthy food and healthy programming to our community. UFI owes much of its current success to our innovative predecessor –the futuristic for-profit entity known as City Growers. So how did we get here from there? 

In 2009, City Growers founders Glynn Lloyd, Margaret Connors and Bruce Fulford pulled in dedicated master growers Nataka Crayton Walker, Bobby Walker, complemented by Joe Reese, and soon thereafter Greg Bodine was hired as the first farm manager. Our approach to urban agriculture was different, it was through an entrepreneurial lens. The goal was to take the numerous vacant lots that existed at the time in our community and convert them into intensive food production lots where our farmers could earn a living wage. We knew that by striving for this goal, more people of color would be exposed to local food production. The other benefit would be that more healthy, sustainable fruits and vegetables would be available for people in our community.

A vacant quarter-acre lot behind Sportsmen’s Tennis Club in Dorchester was our beginning, which eventually led to four plots that were just under an acre. Food was cultivated in a sustainable fashion that mitigated lead and other negative environmental impacts. Over the next three years farmers were trained for green collar jobs and nutritious food was produced for market and shared with our neighbors in Boston’s BIPOC communities. By 2012, UFI had its founding board of Willie Brown*, Ed Connelly, Margaret Connors, Mel King*, Bruce Bickerstaff, Glynn Lloyd, Gail Snowden, Karilyn Crockett, Chris Muhammad and Klare Shaw. Later members were Dave Madden, Greg Watson, and Charlotte Kahn. 

A few pivotal things happened along the way to propel and sustain the UFI journey. With help from Penn Loh and students from Tufts University a scan of Boston’s vacant lots was produced, so we knew which places would be suitable for farming. Everyone was enthusiastic as more than 30 lots in our target area were identified as options.

So as trainees emerged from UFI there would be opportunities for a land trust (which became Boston Farms in 2017) to allow future farmers access to growing plots. Also, by 2014, City Growers merged with UFI, and we pledged to keep alive that spirit of entrepreneurship and self-empowerment. At the end of 2013, Pat Spence joined as President and CEO and helped expand UFI’s service and effectiveness – through hard work, she and long-time staff have helped shape and sustain the organization.