About

Egleston Community Orchard (ECO) began as a neighbor-led effort for sustainable urban agriculture and community green space in Jamaica Plain. Today, ECO is a hub for community events, permaculture workshops, and collaborative harvests. As one of the older sites in the coalition, ECO has seen several iterations and various teams of caretakers, and has engaged the full diversity of Egleston Square — including youth — and has hosted cultural events and workshops for the general public.

History

During the summer of 2010 community members living in the Egleston Square neighborhood came together to begin the process of converting the vacant city-owned lot on Boylston Street in JP into a garden space, dubbing it the Egleston Community Orchard (ECO). Through collaboration between members of neighborhood associations and passersby as well as local non-profits and businesses, the formerly trash-ridden lot became home to several apple trees, fruiting shrubs and perennials, and was the host site for several sustainable agriculture workshops. These activities drew in dozens of community members who helped prepare the land for planting, constructed an on-site compost bin, created a flower bed, and developed rain water catchment system while bonding and learning about urban agriculture with their neighbors.

Today, ECO is engaging a new generation of neighborhood stewards, including area residents, students, and educators from nearby schools. The space remains true to its roots by prioritizing food-producing perennial crops, open community gathering space, and an emphasis on community stewardship of land.

Learn more about the Egleston Community Orchard in this informational brochure — it includes both English and Spanish translations.