your farm. anywhere.

Appreciating Your Food to the Fullest

What were you doing the last time you ate? Were you actually just eating? For many people, meals serve as a multi-purpose food-consuming/email-checking/news-reading/kid-taming session. But there is something to be gained from mindfully meditating on your food: where it comes from, who was involved in getting it to your table, and the energy that went into creating, transporting, and preparing it. As I found, clearing out mealtime distractions can help one reach multi-faceted satisfaction - mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Hi! My name is Adrienne and I'm the horticulture intern at Green City Growers this fall. Most of the work I do involves tending gardens- both our own Research and Development garden at our office in Somerville, and those that we've installed and routinely maintain for our clients all over Boston, the metro area, and the surrounding suburbs.

Our city is on the forefront of urban agriculture. This past fall, the Somerville officials passed regulations and an ordinance allowing residents to keep chickens, bees, and personal commercial farms right in their own back yard. In most cities, zoning laws hinder homesteading activities such as these due to conflicts with health, safety, and noise regulations. But with proper government, selling your own vegetables and keeping your own hens can be a safe, rewarding path towards self-sufficiency. For example, if you are selling vegetables grown on your property in Somerville, you are required to run an annual soil health test. Hens are fine, but because of the noise issue roosters are not allowed to be kept on Somerville lots.