Mill City Grows
Mill City Grows fosters food justice in Lowell, MA through its many initiatives including seven community gardens, a dozen school gardens, three urban farms, two mobile markets, and numerous educational programs and events.
Western Massachusetts Processing Center
The Western Mass Processing Center operated by the Franklin County CDC has helped launched numerous food businesses and makes locally grown food including broccoli, squash, and carrots available to institutions across New England.
Productive School Properties
Drew Transition Center in Detroit has replaced parking spots and decorative landscaping at the school's original entrance with a hoop house and raised beds that support curriculum and the district's food service program. In 2016, Drew Farm grew 22,000 lbs of vegetables and now that expertise is helping transform more land into productive use at neighboring Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School.
CommonWealth Kitchen
Incubator spaces and shared commercial kitchens like CommonWealth Kitchen lower the barriers to entry for food entrepreneurs and enterprises.
Fresh Truck
A mobile mini-grocery delivering fresh produce and staples to neighborhoods underserved by traditional food markets.
Vermont Chevon
Vermont Chevon, based in Danville, VT, is committed to adding value to Vermont’s dairy-goat industry. Its mission is to grow the meat-goat industry in the region with a focus on maintaining the livelihood of the animals and the land, while creating a sustainable source of goat meat for chefs and consumers.
Green City Growers and Backyard Gardening
Since planting our first backyard raised bed with Green City Growers in 2010, the garden has expanded beyond imagination. Not only did we see the return of birds, flowers, and surprises like wild strawberries, but the neighbors to both sides were inspired to begin growing their own fruits and vegetables as well.
Boston Public Market and Kitchen
The Boston Public Market has opened outlets for existing and new regional, artisanal food businesses. The Trustees (www.ttor.org) partner with BPM to offer the Kitchen, a state-of-the-art space for community teaching, learning, and gathering. Programs highlight culinary traditions, healthy living, and regional food production.
Bread & Butter Farm
B&B's weekly "Burger Night" consistently draws hundreds of people for delicious food, music, and community.
Chicago Center for Green Technology
This is an idea we loved that has since closed. The Chicago Center for Green Technology was a 34,000-square-foot US Green Building Council LEED Platinum certified building located on a former brownfield plot of 17 acres in Chicago’s East Garfield Park Community built to showcase green technologies. The CCGT had its roots in Mayor Daley’s Chicago Brownfield Initiative, which was designed to rehabilitate toxic urban land and return it to productive use. It ceased operations in 2014.
Blue Hill Fair (Blue Hill, Maine)
Fairs celebrating America's agrarian society are a long and treasured tradition. Blueberry pie tastings, antique tractor pulls, craft demonstrations, harvest competitions, and more attract all generations.
Vancouver's Neighborhood Energy Utility
Vancouver's version of a district energy system in the Southeast False Creek Neighborhood was the first of its kind in North America in 2010. The utility captures heat from wastewater and sewage and returns it to local buildings, reducing global warming pollution typically associated with heating the community by more than 60 percent. The centre's exhaust stacks form five metal “fingers” that change colour depending on how much energy is used. Public art meets public utility.
Homemade Preserves
Off the beaten path surprises include homemade jams for sale on a picnic table in Sudavik, Iceland with a "trust" box for payments and guest book to leave a note for the maker.
Brooklyn Children's Museum
This "plants that heal" garden helps visitors make the connection between edible plants, the environment and personal wellness.
Evergreen Brickworks
A beautiful example of a brownfield redevelopment site complete with a "living wall" illustrating the regional watershed in Toronto, Ontario.
Somerville Arts Council
Community classes help people to learn new culinary techniques and to meet their neighbors. Featured here is a pickling and fermentation course, part of the Somerville Arts Council's Nibbles Series.
Union Square Greenmarket (NYC)
Farmers markets that accept EBT payments, which help to increase access to fresh, healthy food for all and can represent a significant portion of sales for participating farmers.
Foodwise Kids
Foodwise Kids is a free program for elementary schools that transforms San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market into an interactive classroom for engaging students in healthy eating. Youth explore the market, participate in cooking classes, and experience new fruits and vegetables through tastings.
Public Transportation
Public transportation comes in many forms and can be an important tool in mitigating climate change. Shared transit reduces congestion and pollution, not to mention provides the opportunity to spend more time with our fellow humans.
High Mowing Seeds
Founder, educator and organic seed entrepreneur, Tom Stearns, plays a vital input role in the food system value chain.
Pete's Greens
Growing certified organic produce year-round in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont Food Venture Center
The Vermont Food Venture Center along with the Vermont Small Business Development Center supports job creation, strengthens Vermont’s local food network and further builds the agricultural economy.
Intervale Center
The Intervale Center in Vermont strengthens community food systems through a farm incubation project that supports entrepreneurs like Mara and Spencer Welton of Half Pint Farm.
Sustainable Food System Tour
Gathering Together Farm in Philomath, OR is a pioneer organic seed company and vegetable farm operating in the Willamette Valley since 1987.
Werkhoven Dairy
"Cows are better than condos" is the slogan of this family farm in Washington state, where an innovative partnership with local authorities and the community keeps the milk flowing sustainably.