Local Food

The Center supports a range of projects centered on local food systems, including vegetable growing and gardening, nutrition, food distribution and hunger relief.

The Center supports a range of projects centered on local food systems, including vegetable growing and gardening, nutrition, food distribution and hunger relief.

We actively support two local food initiatives, the Shared Gardens Project and the Food Recovery Network.

Shared Gardens Project

The Shared Gardens Project is a budding partnership with Groundwork Lawrence to support community gardening in the City of Lawrence.  The plan includes creating a grow site at Merrimack for starting vegetable seedlings that can be distributed to community garden members at the start of each growing season.

The Shared Gardens Project also spawned a new raised bed garden projects on the Merrimack College campus.  The so-named Site #1 is located off of Rock Ridge Road and consists of eleven raised beds that support a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, beans and chives.

Vegetables grown at the site in 2018 have been donated to Neighbors in Need.

Food Recovery Network

The Food Recovery Network at Merrimack College is part of the national Food Recovery Network, a nonprofit organization that partners with on-campus dining services to rescue unserved, usable food.

Learn More About the Food Recovery Network