Welcome to The Food Project!
Thank you for taking a moment to learn more about our work.   We invite you to join us in our efforts!

Our mission is to grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership opportunities.   Most importantly, we strive to inspire and support others to create change in their own communities.

Since 1991, The Food Project has built a national model of engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. Each year, we work with over a hundred teens and thousands of volunteers to farm on 31 acres in rural Lincoln, MA and on several lots in urban Boston.   We consider our hallmark to be our focus on identifying and transforming a new generation of leaders by placing teens in unusually responsible roles, with deeply meaningful work.

Each season, we grow nearly a quarter-million pounds of food without chemical pesticides, donating half to local shelters.   We sell the remainder of our produce through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) crop “shares” and farmers’ markets.  We market our own Farm-Fresh Salsa, holiday pies, and other value added products.  Locally, we also partner with urban gardeners to help them remediate their lead-contaminated soil and grow healthier food.


Our Vision
In 1991, The Food Project’s founder, Ward Cheney, had a vision of young people from the city and the suburbs working side by side on the land producing food for the hungry and learning together.  He imagined youth experiencing the value of labor and service while building a diverse and effective community.  He pictured a place where youth could discover and develop their talents, make friends and test themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.  His vision became The Food Project.


Our Philosophy
At The Food Project, we generate a community where people have a rare opportunity to re-create themselves.  We gather youth and adults from all backgrounds and abilities and give them the opportunity to contribute purposefully to society by growing food for the hungry and caring for the land.  Through this meaningful and demanding work, they are challenged to step outside the story of who they “are” or “have been” and try on a new way of thinking, acting, or being.  By inviting youth to serve and to take risks, we offer people chances to see themselves, others, and the world differently.

The Food Project uses an intensely personal model.  It makes a deep commitment to each person and community it touches, and invites the same of each volunteer, neighbor, and friend.  We strive to bridge cultural, ethnic and personality differences with our Straight Talk system of frank communication.  We want to expand permanently each person’s recognition of himself or herself as an agent for social change.

We also serve as a resource center and leader of this process.  Nearly half of The Food Project’s work serves those who come from other cities, countries, farms and even other types of organizations for inspiration and skills.  Because of our dedication to advancing communities, youth and sustainable agriculture wherever they might be, we aid these colleagues as well.