NSCC, Food Project Team up in New Greenhouse

North Shore Community College and the Food Project have teamed up to build and utilize a 1,200 square foot greenhouse on the side of the college at 300 Broad St.

“The intention is for the greenhouse to be shared between us and North Shore Community College,” said Jenn Coverdale, the Food Project’s Lynn Urban Agriculture manager.

The greenhouse, paid through a state grant applied for by the college, just got its occupancy permit, is equipped with aquaponics, rain catchment, composting and solar energy systems.

“The greenhouse offers students hand-on experiential learning,” said Coverdale. As a matter of fact all the plants being grown in the greenhouse now will be available for sale during Farm Fest May 25 at North Shore Community College from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be a farmer’s market where you can use HIP cards, food stamps, cash or credit.

There are leeks, carrots onions, beets, peppers, collards cabbage, all kinds of tomatoes (even striped German tomatoes) and swiss chard.

Everything grown by the Food Project goes back into the city of Lynn. There is a Central Square Farmer’s Market in the summer. The is also a mobile market where food is taken around Lynn to senior housing and other sites. Anything left over is donated to My Brother’s Table.

Mary Gatlin of the Community Garden Network Coordinator, representing the city of Lynn has started the Lynn Kitchen Gardeners, which meet monthly at the Ingalls School.

“Eventually there will be community garden space available in the greenhouse,” said Coverdale.

“It’s so accessible to everyone,” Gatlin said.

The new greenhouse is also a major boost to the Lynn Food Project. In the past when they wanted to use a greenhouse they would have to go to Beverly. The greenhouse is state of the art with all its systems. It is also handicap accessible.

“It’s wonderful not have a greenhouse in the city that is open to the public,” Coverdale said.

The Food Project has seven farm sites in the Greater Boston-North Shore area. It grows 200,000 pounds of food each year and at the one-acre site at the Ingalls School they produce about 19,000 pounds.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.