The Urban Farming Institute of Boston’s Farm Stand will kick off its season this Friday (June 30), offering fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruit to local communities every Friday through mid-November from 1 p.m.to 5 p.m.

The institute, located at 487 Norfolk St., was founded in 2011 to improve the food production and delivery system for residents of Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury with a mission to engage community residents in growing food through the development and promotion of urban farming. 

UFI has seven farms in the three neighborhoods and continues looking for more land to convert into green spaces where people can grow and share food for local consumption, sales, and distribution. 

The institute provides opportunities such as training, community workshops, and Fit Around the Farm, a fitness program geared towards seniors.

Dorchester’s Patricia Spence, UFI’s president and CEO, said the farm’s success stems from its stress on accessibility. 

​“During our farmstand season, we take SNAP, EBT, credit cards, all of that. But if folks do not have those particular resources, we make sure that everybody leaves with food,” she said. “No matter where you are in life, you can afford our food. Because at the end of the day, the mission is to get fresh food, no pesticides, no chemicals, into the hands of our residents.”

The Farm Stand also accepts cash, HIP, WIC, and Farmer’s Market Coupons. Additionally, at the end of each Friday, UFI donates excess produce to families in need. Spence estimates that the stand gave away around 44,000 pounds of food last season. 

While there are not many grocery stores in Mattapan, few of them sell cultural food at affordable prices. The farm stand steps up to offer that, too.

“It’s not just that it’s fresh food, it’s food that the community wants,” Spence said. “It’s culturally relevant food that people want from their particular diet. Mattapan is Caribbean, Nigerian, there are just so many islands involved here. So, people are coming from all over and they want their food.”

Spence’s family comes from Jamaica so they want greens such as callaloo. Community members from the West Indies desire collard greens, while those from Haiti may be in search of lalo.

To increase participation this year, Spence has worked to incorporate arts and culture into the operation – live music, storytelling, book giveaways, and arts and crafts.