1010 Mass Ave Farmstand

The Serving Ourselves (SOS) Farm at Boston Long Island Shelter is a 2.5 acre Certified Organic farm that helps feed the bodies, minds, and spirits of some of Boston's most vulnerable residents. Each year, The Farm produces about 25,000 pounds of beautiful, first harvest produce (veggies, herbs, fruits, and berries), as well as fresh eggs from the laying hens, for over 800 people served every day by the Long Island Shelter's kitchen. The Farm also shares its bounty with the Greater Boston community by offering healthy, affordable options through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares and Farmers Markets, particularly in neighborhoods where access to healthy foods may be limited, and accepts SNAP, WIC, and senior coupons. Besides delicious and nutritious produce, The Farm provides paid work experience, job-readiness skills, and education for homeless individuals as part of the Serving Ourselves Vocational Training Program. Participants learn all aspects of food production; soil preparation, a variety of planting techniques, tending the plants, pest control, harvesting and marketing their produce at local farmers markets. The Farm also gives those in the Culinary Arts track of Serving Ourselves the opportunity to work with a wide variety of produce, and learn skills that would otherwise not be possible due to prohibitive cost, like pickling, drying, and cooking with fresh herbs. The experience gained in these programs has led to permanent, gainful employment in the restaurant, food, horticulture and landscaping industries. For example, one employee started a landscaping business, one went to work with a well-known florist in Boston and another pursued her education and employment in floriculture. The Farm is a program of the Boston Public Health Commission's Homeless Services Bureau. For more information on the farm and its weekly farmstand, visit www.bphc.org.