Boston Food Forest Coalition

Exciting #opportunity: We're #hiring for a Senior Landscape Construction Manager to plan and oversee the construction of new food forests across the City of #Boston. Great role for a landscape builder with project management experience who wants to make a real difference in Boston. Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/3F9cbb7 #construction #landscapedesign #builder #projectmanagement #climateresilience

“It is the relationships within a food system that inspire individual consumers to buy local when given the chance, as local is where these relationships are most visible and vibrant.” – Hope Kelley In a follow-up to Alex Redfield’s The “Other” 30 by 30: Reflections on Progress Toward a Resilient Food System in the current issue of From the Ground Up, Hope Kelley of Boston Food Forest Coalition presents a perspective that goes beyond hard statistics. “What role does relationship play in the journey toward 30 percent local food in New England by 2030?” she asks. The simplicity of soil on a mushroom, the smell of fruit displayed without plastic wrapping, a conversation with a local farmer or grocer–Kelley holds these are important parts of the food experience that have been de-emphasized in modern day supermarkets. “Without recognizing, uplifting, and valuing these connections inherent in a food system, we cannot assume that individuals would value or prioritize local products if they were simply placed on the shelves,” she adds. Read Kelley's article, Beyond the Supply Chain: Building Local Food Resilience through Relationship, to find out what relationships spaces and roles she believes can help in re-establishing the “thread of connection” between communities and local food to help New England meet its 2030 regional food production goal. https://buff.ly/3BMoCIp Photo by Hope Kelley #conservation #newengland #northeast #landconservation #wwfc #foodsolutions #sustainability #eatlocal #nofarmsnofood #eatlocalgrown #vermont #maine #rhodeisland #connecticut #massachussetts #newhampshire

Check out Boston Food Forest Coalition in the Winter issue of From the Ground Up!

Wolves and supermarkets and urban farms and momentum behind new protections for human rights in New England and more... all in the Winter 2024 issue of From the Ground Up at https://lnkd.in/gh5WRVyh Big thanks to Hope Kelley at Boston Food Forest Coalition, Chelsea Marshall at National Right to Food Community of Practice, and Karen Nordstrom, Tom Kelly and Shane Rogers Food Solutions New England for working with me on some of the food and agriculture content. Looking ahead, the spring issue will explore what "exemplary forestry" looks like to different folks from around the region, and the summer issue will head to the beach for a focus on fisheries, marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Give a shout if you'd like to see your story, art, photos, poems, or analysis in an upcoming issue!

We’re #hiring for a Program Coordinator to partner with BFFC’s park stewardship teams to support and enhance their volunteer engagement efforts. Learn more and apply below!

We’re #hiring for a Park Construction Manager, who will oversee the construction of new food forests throughout Boston, managing projects from design to completion. Know anyone who might be interested? Apply at the job post below.

So appreciating this growing movement, and specifically appreciating Boston Food Forest Coalition and all that it is doing here in my home state. "Food forests are public edible parks maintained by community members, for community members. A food forest is a diverse arrangement of plants that attempts to mimic the #ecosystems and patterns found in nature. Inspired by the style of land management known as permaculture, this approach to land management focuses on growing perennials (i.e. plants that return year after year) and viewing the whole ecosystem rather than individual parts. Food forests build environmental #resilience. Some ways they do this include: tree canopy cools the air in hot weather; plant, tree, and shrub roots stabilize the soil to protect it from erosion; biodiverse plant species provide habitat for beneficial insects, pollinators, songbirds, & wildlife; carbon is sequestered (i.e. stored in the soil rather than the atmosphere). Food forests also provide delicious seasonal foods and safe, natural spaces for neighbors to gather, and are distinct from #community gardens in various ways — mainly that they are initiated, built, and cared for by neighborhood volunteers (called ‘stewards’) who enjoy the spaces without reserving or paying for use in advance. Naturally, this approach invites #collaboration and democratic decision-making when developing a space. For this reason, food forests lend themselves well to the community land trust model, which center neighbors and community at the heart of these special spaces." More here - https://lnkd.in/e2idnmpC

Boston Food Forest Coalition has been chosen to be honored for its pioneering work building community-led urban food forests!

Worth a quick read :)