Gardening the Community!
Gardening the Community (GTC), a youth-based food justice organization in Springfield, partnered in the fall of 2020 with Revitalize CDC, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Northeast Solar, Steve Jablonski Architects, Graham Electric, and Kent Hicks Construction to build an outdoor pavilion on GTC’s farm site at 200 Walnut Street in Springfield. The pavilion will serve as a shelter for GTC’s youth program participants working on site, a community gathering spot, and house a new solar panel array that will provide electricity to GTC’s greenhouse, storage, and farm store.
Gardening the Community began in 2002 as a small garden on Springfield’s Central Street, working with just 5 youth. The organization is now a year-round food justice and urban farming program operating with 30 youth on 3 sites. The group distributes 28,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each year to Springfield families, grown by its youth leaders and by neighboring farms. All produce is grown sustainably, without pesticides or chemicals.
GTC runs a year-round farm store that sells pesticide-free vegetables and fruits to the community at affordable prices, located at 200 Walnut St, Springfield, MA. It is open Wednesday & Thursday from 11am to 6pm, and Friday & Saturday from 11am to 3pm.
For more information go to www.gtcspringfield.org.
