Across the Coalition: Reflecting on a Full and Joyful Summer
As summer winds down and autumn settles in, we’re taking tme to pause and reflect on the successes, learnings, highlights, and relationships that shaped this very full season for Boston Food Forest Coalition.
This summer we…
Celebrated the grand opening of two new food forest parks — the Maple Street Food Forest and the Frederick Douglass Peace Park. These vibrant community spaces are now thriving under the care and leadership of neighborhood stewardship teams who will ensure they grow as places of connection, healing, and abundance for years to come.
Broke ground on another new food forest park, while continuing to invest in the processes and relationships necessary to break ground on several more in 2026. Each step toward a new park reflects years of grassroots visioning and trust-building, and we are proud to walk alongside residents as they imagine and create new green spaces for their neighborhoods.
Welcomed two new staff members — April, our Senior Park Construction Manager, and Najee, our Development Coordinator. Both bring expertise, energy, and fresh perspective to our work, and we’re already seeing the impact of their leadership as we prepare for the year ahead.
Watched stewardship teams in action. Across the city, neighbors came together to host weekly, biweekly, and monthly workdays and workshops in the food forest parks. From planting and mulching to herbalism, composting, cooking, and more, these gatherings offered practical skills, strengthened community bonds, and deepened our collective care for the land. These workshops will continue throughout the fall and into the winter, too — keeping us learning and helping us to deepen the connections we established over the summer.
As we turn toward autumn, we are deeply grateful for every hand that planted, watered, weeded, cooked, taught, and celebrated with us this summer. Together, we are building a healthier, more connected Boston — one food forest at a time.
