Conor Brosnan wearing our Support Your Local Farmer Tee
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Tell us about your farm!
As the oldest urban farm in Boston, ReVision Urban Farm is an innovative community-based urban agriculture project that grows produce in its own fields and provides access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to residents of our ReVision Family Home Shelter and our extended community. In association with ReVision Family Home, we also provide job training for youth and Boston’s homeless.
How did you get into farming?
I worked in both landscaping and agriculture during the summers of high school, college, and graduate school. After ten years in education, I decided to return to my passion of farming.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a farmer?
As an Urban Farm, growing space is always an issue. We like to believe we’ve taken full advantage of our .9 acres, but also realize there’s always room for improvement. We also have the important job of being good stewards of our soil. Erosion is a real problem in the world of urban farming; a fact that demands our attention and consistent thoughtfulness.
What are your thoughts and beliefs on farming in the face of climate change?
We feel that farms should be at the forefront of climate change initiatives. As climate change continues to disrupt our environment and food systems, urban farms should become more and more necessary and important. Green space within the city that produces fresh, local food had the ability to change the American food system and positively contribute to the fight against climate change.
What are some misconceptions you hear about farming and agriculture when it comes to climate change that you'd like to address?
The misconception that farmers must strip the land of nutrients and disrupt the soil ecology in order to be productive and profitable is a giant, even disturbing, misconception.
What future are you farming for and how do you think your farm can make a difference?
We’re farming for our community of Boston and a future where locally grown and sustainable food is the norm. We foresee a future where your local farms are an irreplaceable and integral member of the community, just as if it were a bank or grocery store.
As the oldest urban farm in Boston, ReVision Urban Farm is an innovative community-based urban agriculture project that grows produce in its own fields and provides access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food to residents of our ReVision Family Home Shelter and our extended community. In association with ReVision Family Home, we also provide job training for youth and Boston’s homeless.
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How did you get into farming?
I worked in both landscaping and agriculture during the summers of high school, college, and graduate school. After ten years in education, I decided to return to my passion of farming.
____
____
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a farmer?
As an Urban Farm, growing space is always an issue. We like to believe we’ve taken full advantage of our .9 acres, but also realize there’s always room for improvement. We also have the important job of being good stewards of our soil. Erosion is a real problem in the world of urban farming; a fact that demands our attention and consistent thoughtfulness.
____
____
What are your thoughts and beliefs on farming in the face of climate change?
We feel that farms should be at the forefront of climate change initiatives. As climate change continues to disrupt our environment and food systems, urban farms should become more and more necessary and important. Green space within the city that produces fresh, local food had the ability to change the American food system and positively contribute to the fight against climate change.
____
____
What are some misconceptions you hear about farming and agriculture when it comes to climate change that you'd like to address?
The misconception that farmers must strip the land of nutrients and disrupt the soil ecology in order to be productive and profitable is a giant, even disturbing, misconception.
____
What future are you farming for and how do you think your farm can make a difference?
We’re farming for our community of Boston and a future where locally grown and sustainable food is the norm. We foresee a future where your local farms are an irreplaceable and integral member of the community, just as if it were a bank or grocery store.
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Where can we follow along and support you?
Website: https://www.vpi.org/revision/
Instagram: @revisionfarm