Gaining Ground

Gaining Ground envisions a future where everyone has equitable access to healthy, sustainably grown produce. Our mission is to provide free, sustainably grown, fresh, organic produce to people experiencing food insecurity. We do this with the helping hands of a diverse community of volunteers who work and learn with us on our farm.

We have been growing produce  exclusively for donation to those experiencing food insecurity on Concord land for over 30 years. In total, we cultivate about 6 acres, growing over 50 organic vegetables, fruit herbs and cut flowers in fields interspersed with perennial hedgerows. A responsible steward to the land, Gaining Ground uses regenerative no-till farming practices.

We began operating in 1994 as a small garden on private land. In 1999, we established our main farm adjacent to the Thoreau birthplace house on Virginia Road. In 2009, we expanded operations to an adjacent field under license from Massport, and in 2024 we expanded further, farming on licensed land in Minute Man National Historical Park.

Over the years, Gaining Ground has made significant improvements to its farm operations. In 2005, we constructed a greenhouse. In 2009, we added a sugaring operation and erected a sugar shack for boiling maple syrup, all of which is donated to families in need. In 2012, we purchased a tractor for field preparation and added a hoop house shortly thereafter. As part of our long-term strategy to increase the fertility and yield of the land, we added irrigation and deer fencing in 2014, a post and beam barn in 2015 and three additional hoop houses by 2019. Production has risen from 2,500 pounds at the start to more than 120,000 pounds in a typical season today, all of which is donated to 17 hunger relief organizations. We farm using no-till, regenerative agricultural methods and are a premier site for no-till education within the local farming community.

Gaining Ground envisions a future where everyone has equitable access to healthy, sustainably grown produce. Our mission is to provide free, fresh, organic produce to people experiencing food insecurity. We do this with the helping hands of a diverse community of volunteers who work and learn with us on our farm.

Gaining Ground relies on the support of thousands of volunteers, generous individual donors, funding organizations, and community partners. We deeply appreciate their belief in growing food and growing community.

Throughout the harvest season, produce from Gaining Ground’s farm goes to food pantries, meal programs, schools, other nonprofits, and shelters in eastern Massachusetts. Our approach is local and sustainable—most of our produce is distributed within 25 miles of our farm and within 24 hours of harvest.

Some of our partners use our produce to prepare a free, hot meal. Others give it away as part of free grocery distributions to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. For a list of our current partners, please visit https://gainingground.org/our-partners/.