Mack Park Farm to Host Event for Massachusetts 1st Annual Urban Agriculture Week

The Mack Park Farm, a community farm operated by the City of Salem in Salem, MA, was selected by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) as a site to highlight for its 1st Annual Urban Agriculture Week from August 10-16, setting the groundwork for this new annual event.

The Mack Park Farm generates over 6,000 pounds of fresh, organically grown produce per season that is provided for free to the community through its biweekly farmers' markets and its partners at The Salem Pantry. The farm has greatly benefited from MDAR's Urban Agriculture funding, allowing the purchase of a walk-in cooler, supplies for a water-catchment system and shelving for its hoop house.

MDAR's Urban Agriculture Program, established in 2014, provides financial support to advance the Commonwealth's food security objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the state. The Program expanded its scope of funding with the addition of Community Gardens (2020) and Community Food Production (2022) to expand growing opportunities for projects like the Mack Park Farm.

Projects that have been funded address food insecurity and increase access to fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with a high concentration of low-moderate income residents.

The event is rain or shine, but any schedule changes will be posted on http://www.facebook.com/MackParkFarm.