Boston Area Gleaners is securing a new home to get more food to more people.
After 15 years of growth and over 9 million pounds of nutritious food distributed for food-insecure families, the Gleaners have outgrown our original facility. In response, we launched this $4.1 million campaign to purchase and renovate Stonefield Farm in Acton as our new, permanent home.
After 15 years of exponential growth at Boston Area Gleaners, our original home could no longer accommodate the volume of food we move through the supply chain from farms to food-insecure families.
Stonefield Farm in Acton is a 50-acre property that provides ample space for our operations as well as opportunities to expand our programs and serve even more people. Our fundraising goal of $4.1 million includes not only the full purchase of the property but also the improvements to the site necessary for growing our operational efficiency.
The former owners of Stonefield, the Simeone Family, have been committed to transferring the property to a social cause and to protecting the land from development. In collaboration with Sudbury Valley Trustees, Acton Conservation Trust, and the Town of Action Open Space Committee & Agricultural Commission, this campaign will ensure that all agricultural land and open space is protected in perpetuity—at time when residential development has put Massachusetts among the states with the highest risk of farmland loss in the country. The campaign will also protect keywildlife habitat along the Health Hen Meadow Wildlife Corridor. Read more about this conservation opportunity here.
This new site provides:
10,000 square feet of cold storage for fresh produce
6,000 square feet of dry storage for packaging and supplies
Office space for the whole team
Processing space for sorting, washing, and packing food
Parking for staff, volunteers, and equipment
Two loading docks to accomodate large trucks
20+ acres of agricultural land
With a new home, the Gleaners will get more food where it's needed.
The Gleaners will operate year-round and increase food distribution by an estimated 4.5 million pounds annually.
Our location in a geographic 'sweet spot' relative to our partners will reduce travel time to farms by 40% and increase the efficiency of our distribution routes by 35%.
We will expand the geographic reach of our food recovery and distribution efforts.
Grow the Gleaners' Programs.
This new site will allow the Gleaners to support a better food system with more accessible and diverse programming.
New opportunity to grow specific, culturally-appropriate crops for hunger relief
Agricultural land will support emerging farmers
Nearby commuter rail and bike trails expand access for staff and volunteers
Property purchase will preserve 50 acres of open space—including 27 acres of farmland and 23 acres of upland and wetland wildlife habitat.