The Urban Farming Institute (UFI) has purchased the Fowler Clark Epstein Farm on Norfolk Street in Mattapan, a property it has been taking care of since 2014. The group’s president, Patricia Spence, shared the news of the $1.4 million purchase at Monday evening’s meeting of the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council. The non-profit bought the farm from Historic Boston, Inc., which oversaw a major $3.8 million restoration of the site in 2018.

“This is something that is for us, meaning for Mattapan and beyond,” said Spence.

“This has been one of the most exciting projects in my career and it’s exciting because it’s for all of us,” she continued. “We all knew that one day we would raise the money and own the property. It was built into our lease. In June 2020, we started fundraising, and we ended that in December 2022 and more has come in to fund some other things.”

She said the fundraising was done by UFI, Historic Boston, Inc., the North Bennet Street School, and the Trust for Public Land. The efforts of those four organizations raised enough money to buy the farm and not be “burdened” with a mortgage or any debt attached to it. They have also created a maintenance fund and pay for a study to produce a 20-year maintenance strategy.

The latter was an important feature of the purchase, given that the circa 1786 farm and farmhouse and 1860 carriage house barn were rescued from total disrepair and neglect by Historic Boston, Inc. and UFI.

Spence even joked that growing up in the area, she and her friends were able to ride their bikes near the farm and that they referred to it as the “creepy house.” Now, she said, the structure of this fundraising and purchase effort will ensure that the property does not fall into disrepair, or into the hands of a profiteer.

“A lot of thought went into this so the next time someone wouldn’t come by and take the buildings and the land,” said Spence.

The UFI runs many different activities and supports farming teachers who run classes at 16 local schools like the PA Shaw Elementary, the Mildred Avenue K-8, and the Ellison Parks Early Learning Center. They also run a senior citizen program that has about 60 regular participants and a Black men’s discussion group once per week.

Additionally, they run a popular farmer’s market on Fridays during farming season, usually with live music, but their key program is a farmer program, which has seen trained classes of farmers go into the industry over the last 10 years.

“Fewer than one percent of people of color are farmers,” she said. “This is our homage to getting the land back and holding the land in perpetuity for our farmers and training other farmers in the future.”

MATTAPAN NOTEBOOK
•There will be an online public meeting on April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. for the forthcoming project at 819 Cummins Highway, which seeks to take four vacant lots (19,491 square feet) next to the Lopes Funeral Home and transform them into a 5-story, 42-unit mixed use building with 25 parking spaces. The project developer is EJS Investments/Sathuan Sa of Quincy, which is represented by Michael Ross of Prince Lobel. The general contractor is TJD Construction, a Black-owned business operated by Tyshania Dismond.

•A volunteer cleanup day will target the Mattahunt Woods on Sat., March 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. Volunteers will remove trash, weeds, and debris from the area, and get an update on the upcoming restoration project for the woods. Questions can be addressed via email to Nicholas.long@boston.gov.

•District 4 Councillor Brian Worrell announced that he will sponsor a credit and financial literacy camp for high school students on March 13 at 5 p.m. in the Mattapan Teen Center (MTC). Th event will include a ‘Shark Tank’ style business pitch contest and the winner will receive a funding prize for their business.

•GMNC’s Azan Reid reminded everyone that Bishop Nicolas Homicil continues to run a very large food pantry for the needy on Saturdays at 1 p.m. at 47 Edgewater Drive. (Voice of the Gospel Tabernacle).

•Mattapan resident Edosa Osemwegie logged his first evening of work at the GMNC meeting, as he has been brought on staff for At-large Councillor Henry Santana.