On August 13, the City of Everett welcomed Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Massachusetts Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Ashley Randle to the Tremont Street Community Garden this week for a tour and roundtable discussion on urban agriculture, food access, and environmental stewardship. The event, held during Massachusetts Urban Agriculture Week, brought together farmers, environmental advocates, and local officials from across Greater Boston.
Hosted by Everett Community Growers (ECG) in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), the gathering spotlighted local efforts to bring residents closer to fresh, affordable food.
Mayor Robert J. Van Campen opened the discussion by describing the challenges some Everett residents continue to face in accessing fresh, nutritious food, referring to parts of the city as a “food swamp” — an area where highly processed, low-nutrition food is far more available than fresh, healthy options. He outlined the city’s response: after a ten-year hiatus, a farmers market returned to Everett Square this summer, held every other week with the goal of moving to a weekly schedule next year. The City ensured that all vendors at the market accept EBT, making fresh, local produce more accessible to residents using public food assistance. The Mayor also noted that the city’s Food Policy Council, which identifies barriers to healthy food access and develops recommendations for local food policy, will soon present its findings to the City Council.
“Events like this are important because they bring together the people working at every level to improve access to fresh, healthy food,” said Mayor Van Campen. “Here in Everett, we’re doing our part through our farmers market, Community Fridge, and partnerships with local organizations, while looking for new opportunities to expand urban agriculture and community gardening. I’m proud to see Everett be part of this larger effort to build healthier, more accessible food systems across Massachusetts.”
Rebecca Kelley, ECG’s Director of Programs, shared the organization’s roots in Everett, tracing its growth from the city’s first community garden on Florence Street in 2012 through the Northern Strand farm, a youth agricultural training program, and Broadway Farm, which has supplied produce to Everett Public Schools and local families. The Tremont Street garden itself grew out of a resident-led effort to turn an underused municipal lot into growing space.
Commissioner Randle spoke to the role urban agriculture plays in building community and expanding access to food that reflects the cultural traditions of Massachusetts’ diverse population, and Congresswoman Pressley praised Everett and municipalities like it for advancing food access and resident-driven solutions at the local level.
Everett was joined at the event by City Councilor At-Large Katy Rogers and State Senator Sal DiDomenico, along with representatives from the USDA Farm Service Agency, Grow Boston, the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, the Urban Farming Institute, GreenRoots, and other regional partners.
The City of Everett remains committed to expanding access to fresh, local food and fostering ongoing partnerships that support community gardening and urban agriculture throughout the city.
