Since joining Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood in 2007, Community Servings has become a source of local organic produce for our neighbors. At the same time, our community initiatives support our primary mission of feeding the critically ill, their caregivers and their children.
We are excited to contribute to such a vibrant community by:
Serving as a pick-up site for local organic produce: Through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative, the food-buying public creates a relationship with a local, organic farm to access freshly picked produce. Since 2008, Jamaica Plain residents have visited Community Servings to pick up their weekly supplies of beautiful organic produce from Heaven's Harvest Farm of New Braintree, Massachusetts. By purchasing shares of the farm's crop, our neighbors are supporting local agriculture and reducing their carbon footprints. At the same time, our sick clients benefit because we receive 10% of the proceeds from the shares and all of the farmer's surplus produce for our meals program. To sign up for the CSA, click here.
Serving as a pick-up site for local fish: Through a Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) initiative, the public can pick up fish weekly provided by the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association and Cape Ann Fresh Catch. Extra fish and shares that are not picked up are generously donated to help feed our critically ill clients. To sign up for the CSF, click here.
Hosting a Farmers' Market: On Wednesdays from July through October, local food vendors and farmers sell their products from Community Servings' parking lot. Herbs and arugula grown in our on-site herb garden are also for sale -- the proceeds from which help feed our clients. With the only other market on the other side of Jamaica Plain, Community Servings is delighted to offer residents of Stony Brook and Egleston Square nearby access to top-quality, local produce and to accept SNAP and WIC benefits. For more information about this year's Farmers' Market, click here.
Growing and maintaining an on-site herb garden: In June 2009, Community Servings planted seedlings for its first herb garden in 100 feet of planters along the side of our building. In partnership with The Growing Connection, a grassroots project developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Community Servings purchased Earth Boxes at a reduced price. In these high-tech growing systems that use less fertilizer and water than a conventional garden, we grow herbs and arugula for our clients' meals and to sell at our Farmer's Market. This year, with help from some great little gardeners, we planted our second annual herb garden adding another 30 feet of planters! Thanks to our 5 year old volunteers and their parents - the "Cloverbuds" from 4-H for all their hard work!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)