Senator Eldridge, Representative Sena and Representative Cataldo Announce $484,000 Grant for Boston Area Gleaners

Funding will assist in expanding yield and production capacity for the Acton-based non-profit

Acton, MA – State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough), State Representative Danillo Sena (D-Acton) and State Representative Simon Cataldo (D-Acton) announced today that a grant amounting to approximately $484,000 has been secured for Boston Area Gleaners, an Acton-based non-profit which works on issues of food waste and food access, with the goal of supporting an equitable, just, and sustainable local food system. Boston Area Gleaners’s operations include gleaning — the gathering of surplus crops for donation — as well as transportation services for food distribution and the Boston Food Hub, which helps connect local farmers to buyers that value local, nutritious food.

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program seeks to ensure equitable food access for everybody in the Commonwealth by providing grants that help farmers, fishermen, and other local food producers be more interconnected with a strong, resilient food system. The FSIG Program has a special focus on locally produced food. The grant issued to Boston Area Gleaners will allow the organization to purchase additional farming equipment as well as a refrigerated truck, which will increase yield and production capacity.

“Boston Area Gleaners has done great work in strengthening the local food system in the Commonwealth,” said Senator Eldridge. “I’m very thankful to the EEA for approving a grant that will help them expand their operation, and I’m looking forward to seeing their continued success and valued contributions to the community.”

“I would like to thank the EEA and the FSIG Program for providing this grant,” said Representative Sena. “Ensuring equitable access to food is a crucial issue, and I commend Boston Area Gleaners for all of their efforts to address food insecurity and redistribution in the Commonwealth.”

"Boston Area Gleaners is providing an important boost to food security, which is one of the most daunting challenges in our region,” said Representative Cataldo. “Increasing the capacity of the Gleaners’ successful work through the EEA’s grant will help farmers, families, and our environment.”

For more information about the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, click here. For more information about Boston Area Gleaners, click here.