HELP US SAVE
THE WALTHAM FIELD STATION
Due to a decision by the University of Massachusetts to close the facility December 31st, 2019, our tenancy at the Waltham Field Station is up in the air. This year we moved more than 750,000 pounds of produce that would have otherwise gone to waste through the doors of this facility and back out to food insecure families across Eastern Massachusetts. The Waltham Field Station has been our only home since our inception in 2004; it houses our offices & coolers, it's where we plug in our refrigerated trucks at the end of the day, where we wash our root veggies, and where we store the ever important banana boxes we use as packaging. While we are confident in our ability to creatively overcome challenges and ultimately continue to provide our services to the larger hunger relief community, we would be hard pressed to find a similar space to house our operations given a limited budget and short notice. Any alternative site would likely require serious fundraising over a number of years.
And its not just us…What the Waltham Field Station lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in community and utility. This understated building houses a dynamic mix of non-profit organizations committed to sustainability and agriculture, including Waltham's last working farm: Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Land Trust, Grow Native Massachusetts, Massachusetts Federation of Farmers Markets and GROW Community Gardens.
This unique community has drawn a great deal of attention over the years, once even receiving the designation as the site for a prospective state-funded Sustainability Education Center which was later defunded by the Baker administration. We understand there is significant cost associated with maintaining aging infrastructure. However, closing this facility represents a major threat to a community of recognized value that would not easily be recreated.
At this point we remain cautiously hopeful that negotiations for the transfer of the property from the University of Massachusetts to the City of Waltham are taking place. However, time is of the essence and with the facility scheduled to close December 31, 2019, we are in an extremely vulnerable position.
If you believe in the work that Boston Area Gleaners does, as well as the other wonderful organizations housed in the Waltham Field Station, please voice this to your Waltham City Councilors and State Representatives. Help us convey how much value comes out of this facility and how much our community would be losing without it.
See below for a list of resources......
And its not just us…What the Waltham Field Station lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in community and utility. This understated building houses a dynamic mix of non-profit organizations committed to sustainability and agriculture, including Waltham's last working farm: Waltham Fields Community Farm, Waltham Land Trust, Grow Native Massachusetts, Massachusetts Federation of Farmers Markets and GROW Community Gardens.
This unique community has drawn a great deal of attention over the years, once even receiving the designation as the site for a prospective state-funded Sustainability Education Center which was later defunded by the Baker administration. We understand there is significant cost associated with maintaining aging infrastructure. However, closing this facility represents a major threat to a community of recognized value that would not easily be recreated.
At this point we remain cautiously hopeful that negotiations for the transfer of the property from the University of Massachusetts to the City of Waltham are taking place. However, time is of the essence and with the facility scheduled to close December 31, 2019, we are in an extremely vulnerable position.
If you believe in the work that Boston Area Gleaners does, as well as the other wonderful organizations housed in the Waltham Field Station, please voice this to your Waltham City Councilors and State Representatives. Help us convey how much value comes out of this facility and how much our community would be losing without it.
See below for a list of resources......
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
At this time we are asking for assistance from all of our stakeholders to advocate for the preservation of the Waltham Field Station. We ask that you contact your local representatives, as well as the pertinent Waltham legislators listed below. By growing a grassroots campaign in concert with other Field Station tenants, we hope to extend our occupancy at the facility and continue the meaningful work we do here. Please use the contact information listed below. Email, write, call........ your voice matters!
General Guidelines:
- Keep communications positive, focus on why the Field Station matters to you
- Note in your communications if you are a Waltham resident
- Share widely, especially with stakeholders in the Waltham area
- Letters of support written at any time are extremely helpful. We also plan to orchestrate consolidated letter writing campaigns at strategic moments of negotiation to increase the impact and visibility of these initiatives. Stay tuned for specific dates and information about this!
- Please send a copy of your letter or email to charlotte@bostonareagleaners.org so we can compile a master document to hand out at city council meetings.
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Charlie Baker- Governor Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St. Office of the Governor, Room 280 Boston, MA 02133 (617) 725-4005 Michael Barrett- Senator 24 Beacon St. Room 416 Boston, MA, 02133 617-722-1572 John Lawn- Representative 24 Beacon St. Room 174 Boston, MA, 02133 617-722-2877 Jeannette A. McCarthy- Waltham Mayor City of Waltham Mayor’s Office City Hall Second Floor 610 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02452 (781) 314-3100 |
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Waltham City Councilors
It is our hope that by conveying how much we value the Field Station now, these representatives will be more likely vote in favor of a plan that supports the Field Station when it comes to a vote. Councillors at Large Paul Brasco, Council President (781) 209 2567 Robert Logan, Council Vice President (781) 893-3572 Kathleen McMenimen (781) 894-1247 Diane LeBlanc (781) 526-1285 Randall LeBlanc (781) 373-2465 Thomas M. Stanley (617) 529-4279 Carlos Vidal (781) 899-2282 Ward Councillors Dan Romard, Ward 1 Councillor (781) 571-6053 Bill Fowler, Ward 2 Councillor (781) 899-3095 George Darcy, Ward 3 Councillor (781) 266-8888 John McLaughin, Ward 4 Councillor (781) 891-6486 Joseph P. LaCava, Ward 5 Councillor (781) 736-7836 Sharline Nabulime, Ward 6 Councillor (781) 893-1406 Kristine A. Mackin, Ward 7 Councillor (781) 786-8569 Cathyann Harris, Ward 8 Councillor (781) 697-4560 |
All City Councilors receive physical mail via:
City of Waltham Clerks Office City Hall Second Floor 610 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02452 (781) 314-3100 |