By Sana Muneer, Special to the Reporter
City officials Monday night unveiled a plan to create a half-acre farm in Mattapan to serve people experiencing food insecurity.
The 22,000-square-foot farm, tentatively called “River Street Farm,” will be built on Boston Public Health Commission’s Mattapan Heights campus near the Lower Neponset River Trail, said Shani Fletcher, director of GrowBoston, the city’s Office of Urban Agriculture. She presented the plans at the Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council’s virtual meeting.
The health commission and the city signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to signify its partnership for the farm, Fletcher said. River Street Farm would provide a local source of fresh produce for food-insecure people with food harvested through Shirley’s Pantry, which provides emergency food assistance and is also located on site.
“It’s got to be a 90-second drive from the farm,” Fletcher said. “It’s almost impossible to get more local than that.”
Fletcher presented a tentative development timeline to the meeting’s 40 attendees, with work expected to begin in the spring. The first phase — archaeology testing — is slated to begin in March or April, once snow has melted. Before any digging occurs, the city’s archeology team must apply for a permit to determine whether there are any artifacts there or if any parts of the site should be protected or avoided, Fletcher said.
“This is in an archeologically sensitive area … I learned recently that it’s between an important crossing of the river and a waterfall,” Fletcher said. “What we were told in our meeting with the archeology team is that it’s possible that this is a space that is very important and has a lot of artifacts.”
Fletcher said nearby Indigenous groups, specifically the Wampanoag people, are being notified about the farm and archaeology testing as part of the process. She added that there will be a community engagement component to the archaeology testing, and volunteer opportunities for interested residents.
Thorough testing of the area’s soil contaminants and health, conducted by a team already under contract with the Mayor’s Office of Housing, will commence after archeological testing.
The archaeology and soil testing results will shape the farm’s design, Fletcher said. The draft design will undergo a “comprehensive farm review” with the Boston Planning Department, and there will be opportunities for community feedback.
After the design is finalized, the project will be put out to bid for construction contractors.
“The idea would be to launch the farm in 2027, hopefully by the spring, if the build-out has been completed,” she said, emphasizing the timeline is a draft and subject to delays.
Community response to the proposal was positive, with concerns centered around wildlife in the area.
Resident Barbara Crichlow asked about the deer and coyotes that reportedly frequent near the farm’s location. Another resident brought up the issue of smaller animals invading the farm.
“There are raccoons, possums, the whole list,” the resident said. “I live, what, one block, two blocks over, and they’re in our yards, so I know that these critters will be having a feast.”
Fletcher said the farm will be fenced to prevent animals from intruding. “I’ve seen deer jump fences, so we can’t say that it’s 100 percent guarantee, but we will be setting it up so that it’s not as easy for them to get in and eat the food.”
Resident David Venter asked about educational efforts within the farm, specifically for children.
Because the farm is an “archeologically sensitive area,” there may be opportunities for educational interpretation, Fletcher said. She added that the farm will mainly be a production farm.
“This will primarily be a production farm, as opposed to, an educational farm or farm with a lot of volunteering,” Fletcher said. “So we’re not sure yet we’re going to explore those opportunities.”
This story is a product of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
