Nonprofit
Help Grow Food for Hunger Relief
Details
Description
Gaining Ground is a non-profit, no-till, organic farm. At our flagship farm and satellite fields we actively cultivate 6 acres of land to grow over 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in fields interspersed with perennial hedgerows. We produce for 16 hunger relief organizations with the help of a community of volunteers and donate 100% of the food we grow. In the 2024 growing season we grew over 133,000 pounds of produce, supplying more than 2,100 food-insecure households each week in the Greater Boston region. We welcomed over 3,800 volunteers of all ages and abilities to the farm this past season.
From April to October, we welcome volunteers Wednesday through Saturday each week for 2 hour volunteer sessions. Our community of volunteers is broad-based, often including:
- Individuals ages 15 and up volunteering independently
- Families with children ages 5 years old and up
- Education groups: schools, colleges, alumni, homeschool coops
- Faith-based groups
- Community groups: scouts, camps, senior citizens, civic organizations
- Special needs groups
- Corporate teams
When you arrive, you walk out through the fields to our volunteer pavilion. You are welcomed by one of our experienced farmers and given an introduction to Gaining Ground and our hunger-relief role. Our staff explain what’s going on at the farm and the tasks they’ve lined up, based on the the skills and abilities of that day’s volunteers. Then, you work alongside the farmers -- planting, mulching, cultivating, harvesting, weeding, tarping, washing... At the end of your visit, our farm staff returns with you to the pavilion to share observations and experiences.
- *Important: if you are interested in volunteering with us, please sign up directly at this link: https:// gainingground.org/volunteer/ sign-up-to-volunteer/. Thank you!***
Gaining Ground is a non-profit, no-till, organic farm. At our flagship farm and satellite fields we actively cultivate 6 acres of land to grow over 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in fields interspersed with perennial hedgerows. We produce for 16 hunger relief organizations with the help of a community of volunteers and donate 100% of the food we grow. In the 2024 growing season we grew over 133,000 pounds of produce, supplying more than 2,100 food-insecure households each week in the Greater Boston region. We welcomed over 3,800 volunteers of all ages and abilities to the farm this past season.
From April to October, we welcome volunteers Wednesday through Saturday each week for 2 hour volunteer sessions. Our community of volunteers is broad-based, often including:
- Individuals ages 15 and up volunteering independently
- Families with children ages 5 years old and up
- Education groups: schools, colleges, alumni, homeschool coops
- Faith-based…
Location
Gaining Ground Farm
Directions
From the east, south and north: From I-95/Rte. 128, exit onto Rte. 2A west (exit 46B). Follow signs to Hanscom Field and turn right at the blinking light onto Hanscom Drive (the airport access road). After about 1/2 mile, bear left at the fork and through one stop sign. Turn left onto Old Bedford Road (Do not go straight into Hanscom Airport or right into Hanscom Airbase). Old Bedford Road turns into Virginia Road, and Gaining Ground is on the right after about 1.5 miles. Park and walk through the large gate and down the dirt farm road. Near the end of the road, there is a volunteer pavilion on your right—please sign in and gather there.
From the west: Take Rte. 2 east and bear right just before the overpass toward MA-2A East. Turn left at the light to go under the overpass and then right on to MA-2A East. Go 2 miles and turn left onto Hanscom Drive (the airport access road). After about 1/2 mile, bear left at the fork and through one stop sign. Turn left onto Old Bedford Road (Do not go straight into Hanscom Airport or right into Hanscom Airbase). Old Bedford Road turns into Virginia Road, and Gaining Ground is on the right after about 1.5 miles. Just past Thoreau Farm House at 341 Virginia Road, turn into the parking lot for Gaining Ground. Park and walk through the large gate and down the dirt farm road. Near the end of the road, there is a volunteer pavilion on your right—please sign in and gather there.
Transportation Assistance
We recognize that the farm property is inaccessible for many folks and want to make visiting and/or volunteering available to all. If transportation to the farm is a logistical or financial barrier for you, we can offer an Uber voucher to sponsor the trip to and from Concord. Please reach out to Allison at allison@gainingground.org for more information on how they work.
Parking and Proceeding to the Volunteer Pavilion
With limited parking, carpooling is encouraged. Gaining Ground’s parking entrance is marked by the green Gaining Ground sign on Virginia Road. Pull in and park on your left. If you pull into the driveway marked with the Thoreau Birthplace Farm sign, please continue around the U-shaped driveway and park on your right just past the sugar house (shed for boiling maple sap).
You may not park in the Thoreau Farm parking lot or beside the stone wall adjacent to the farm house.
Please leave valuables in a safe place and just bring essentials, such as water, hat, rain coat, snack, allergy medications, etc. We have a carry-in, carry-out policy for all garbage. Following the signs, walk through the large gate and down the dirt farm road. Near the end of the road, there is a volunteer pavilion on your right—please sign in and gather there.
How to Apply
Please use our direct website link to sign up to volunteer: https://gainingground.org/volunteer/sign-up-to-volunteer/. Thank you!
Please use our direct website link to sign up to volunteer: https://gainingground.org/volunteer/sign-up-to-volunteer/. Thank you!
