Bountiful Brookline: About

What We Do

Bountiful Brookline, a volunteer-based local food initiative, was founded in 2009 in response to unmet needs for locally grown food. Our vision is for Brookline to create and sustain a local food system that is accessible to all. Land costs and availability in Brookline, an urban edge community, make it unfeasible to create a single site community farm. With almost 60,000 residents and one 80 plot community garden, access to garden space is further limited as more than 70 percent of Brookline residents live in densely developed multifamily housing.

We envision a Brookline where food is grown at homes and schoolyards, on public and private land as well as greenhouses, roofs, walls and fences throughout our community. Our mission is to educate, demonstrate and promote the benefits of local healthy food in partnership with town agencies, local institutions and individuals represents the best of community.

With many factors impacting the cost of fresh healthy food, coupled with economic and lifestyle concerns, we provide creative, effective ways to address these needs. In less than two years we have metamorphosed from an idea into a vital community presence, offering innovative programs resulting in increased local food and providing a valuable resource. Bountiful Brookline has become, in the words of Brookline’s Public Health Director, “the Nexus of local food issues in our community” through our work to promote a collective vision of good food, healthy diets and community engagement.

Framework

Over the course of its history, Brookline has been an important agricultural community as well as a leader in progressive land use planning. Bountiful Brookline seeks to honor this past and to embrace a new model for urban community agriculture. Unlike traditional community farms, Bountiful Brookline hopes to embrace public and private sites and locations throughout the community. Brookline benefits from a wealth of potential growing locations. Public, private, institutional and corporate land parcels including parks and private yards, roofs, balconies, walls and fences offer infinite opportunities to support this community wide agriculture.

Growing Bountiful Brookline

Over the next three to five years we will support Brookline growing with town wide food production, resource sharing and opportunities for young and old. In this first season we received small donations and in-kind support. Your time, money and materials will help us grow.

Who We Are

Founding Director

Cathy Neal

Steering Committee

Peter Ames
Ray Coderre

Laurie Doughterty urban gardening enthusiast

Jenny LaVigne educator, community gardener, food advocate

Joyce Marcario, local food enthusiast, graphic designer
Paul Mason sustainable communities advocate, PR specialist

Cathy Neal landscape architect, gardener, Bountiful Brookline Founding Director

Michael Rafferty development specialist
Peggy Ueda
Kristen Uekermann

Advisors

Abe Faber, Clear Flour Bakery