A Healthy Taste of Culture
East Somerville is the oldest and most ethnically diverse neighborhood in Somerville, Massachusetts, a city just outside of Boston. Its history and diversity are points of pride for the neighborhood, and now residents have another reason to be proud of East Somerville. The neighborhood recently started its first community supported agriculture (CSA) program, and the program’s organizers have made sure it reflects the neighborhood’s deep-rooted culture.
A CSA allows residents and farmers to create a unique relationship. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become members or shareholders of the CSA and receive a weekly basket of produce. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that by joining a CSA “the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.” The farmers also benefit: “By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.”
The CSA in East Somerville started in July and 63 residents signed up in the program’s first season. These participants are as diverse as their neighborhood. There are 52 languages spoken in East Somerville, including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Creole. Driven by this diversity, the CSA farmer grows crops native to residents’ home countries. Since East Somerville is also home to large Brazilian and El Salvadorian populations, the crops include vegetables from Central and South America. Each week, participants pick up a crate of 15-20 pounds of fresh vegetables at a central location.
In addition to its ethnic and linguistic diversity, East Somerville has the highest levels of poverty in the city, the worst air quality of any surrounding neighborhoods due to the adjacent four major highways, and a significant dearth of local food options. These factors make it difficult to engage in urban gardening or healthy eating, says Nicole Rioles, coordinator of Shape Up Somerville. Recognizing this need, Shape Up Somerville partnered with other local organizations to bring the CSA to the neighborhood. They also made it economically accessible. For instance, usually CSA’s require payment upfront for a whole season, but due to the high number of East Somerville residents with lower incomes, participants have the option to pay in four installments. There are also opportunities for participants to subsidize their CSA membership by staffing the distribution table for a couple of hours each week.
The crops are grown by Farmer Dave, a farmer from nearby Dracut, Massachusetts. Along with Rosita Eggplant and Aji Dulce peppers, Farmer Dave is cultivating a friendly community where CSA members come to learn what’s new from the farm in Dracut and what’s happening in East Somerville. CSA manager Heidi Stucker said “It makes me happy that people are less isolated from each other” in belonging to the CSA neighborhood experience. East Somerville Main Streets, a partner in the CSA, also finds this program to be building community. Carrie Dancy, director of East Somerville Main Streets, said “We’re excited to see so many people gathering in East Somerville, especially for the sake of delicious vegetables! The CSA is creating real ties!”
The CSA holds promise for sustainability through local partnerships, such as the one with East Somerville Main Streets. This key partner is a non-profit, public-private partnership between East Somerville residents, business owners, community leaders, local government, and the National Main Streets Center. A second partner is the Somerville Community Growing Center, a community garden and the site for both environmental education and cultural performances in Somerville. The Growing Center is the first in the city and serves as a model for other local community-based agriculture efforts.
The initial successes of the East Somerville CSA give Rioles and others involved hope that this program will reach the scale of other successful CSAs in the city. The support and sustainability offered by local partners, coupled with the financial feasibility and cultural relevance of the program, give this CSA the roots it needs to grow bigger and stronger in culturally rich East Somerville. After all, as Rioles says, “Farmer Dave is growing a community network, one cucumber at a time.”
Resources
• Shape Up Somerville
• Somerville Community Growing Center
• East Somerville Main Streets
• CSA information from USDA National Agricultural Library
