Effective community engagement is intrinsic to the pursuit of urban sustainability. Our Urban Agriculture Program initially began with our longstanding partnership with Mill City Grows, but has evolved over the years to become a much larger program, including the creation and expansion of several close partnerships with local and sustainable organizations. We believe our Urban Agriculture Program and our many partnerships are both unique and innovative. By combining the university's facilities and academic expertise with a local organization that is focused on food access and justice, we are affecting real world change and sustainability in a diverse and evolving city.
Community members, students, faculty, and staff all work together at each of these sites, sharing knowledge and growing friendship, while growing healthy produce in the process! This community partnership is unique in that it provides services to both the university and residents of the City of Lowell in an innovative and engaging setting. Community engagement focused on food access and justice is particularly important in Lowell. Most neighborhoods in the city are classified as low income with low food access by the United States Department of Agriculture.
