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By funkhaus
October 30th, 2024 marked the 10-year anniversary of the passing of former Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino, who is remembered for the tireless work he did to strengthen Boston communities, including his efforts to expand urban agriculture. His legacy lives on in his successors, as Mayor Michelle Wu continues to work towards expanding urban agriculture investment across the City of Boston through the initiation of the Grow Boston office, which aims to increase food production and support local food producers, and builds on the long-term work of the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH). As we celebrate the positive impact he made on Boston, we remember his support for a BR+A+CE art installation project, Studio Luz Architect’s non-profit arm, that aimed at expanding access to healthy, fresh, affordable food: the Mattapan Mobile Farmstand.
In 2012, Mayor Menino attended the launch of the Mattapan Mobile Farmstand, a multi-faced wheeled structure developed for transporting and selling fresh produce in one of Boston’s food deserts. BR+A+CE collaborated with local health advocacy group Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition (MFFC) and local organic grower Brookwood Community Farm to design the pedal-powered mobile stand for the neighborhood of Mattapan. Members of the community gathered together to hear remarks from Mayor Menino, learn how to get involved, and celebrate the community’s commitment to health — watch a clip from the event below.
The idea driving the Mattapan project was simple: if people cannot get to fresh food, fresh food should be brought to them. The resulting mobile stand did just that — it met people where they are, including at a local train station, a senior housing development, and a basketball court. The design also accounted for a variety of factors such as proper shade for the fresh produce, weight distribution, and environmental durability, making sure that a wide variety of locations could serve as a viable temporary hub for food distribution.
Meeting people where they are doesn’t mean just physically — it means culturally as well. We were conscious of the cultural link that the Mattapan community has to the concept of a mobile farm stand, as many area residents grew up buying produce that was sold from farm carts and are already familiar with this type of storefront. In this effort to cater to the cultural backgrounds of those in the community, we were able to meet their needs in a way that resonated with them.
The needs of the community included better access to resources for improved physical health, as neighborhoods that experience inadequate access to sources of fresh food also experience higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, all of which can have long-term implications. Putting fresh, organic, and local fruits and vegetables within reach begins to address the nutritional factors of avoiding these health conditions. Additionally, the local operators of the pedal-powered mobile stand reap the health benefits of physical activity, further promoting health as well as creating new employment opportunities.
We’re proud to see ongoing support for the causes that Mayor Menino championed during his life, and we hope to see continued success for all efforts throughout Boston that work towards eliminating food insecurity, and to inspire renewed efforts in people everywhere to take care of themselves and their communities.
Click here to read more about BR+A+CE’s art installation projects, and visit br-a-ce.org to learn more about our organization.