Brief History of ECG
Everett Community Growers (ECG) was born out of a collaborative project of the Everett Community Health Partnership (ECHP) to create resident-led solutions to food access inequities in Everett. A two-year community organizing campaign guided by La Comunidad, Inc. led to the creation of Everett’s first community garden, the Florence Street Community Garden, in 2012. Since then, ECG has created the Tremont Street Community Garden (2015), Earthworks Garden (2018) & the Northern Strand Community Farm (2016). We have also conducted land inventories to assess sites in the city suitable for urban agriculture, partnered with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the City of Everett on Everett’s first Community Food Assessment and Plan, which includes policy recommendations for a more equitable food system.
Through our Community Food Assessment Plan, created in 2018, we found certain food inequalities in Everett:
- An Environmental Justice community: All census blocks in Everett meet at least one Environmental Justice criteria, as defined by the state. This past year COVID disproportionately affected Everett. The impact of the pandemic continues to place an enormous toll on food access and distribution (e.g. supply chain shortages faced by school food providers, continued lag in employment in Everett as compared to pre-pandemic).
- Lack of Public Transportation: There is currently no viable source of public transportation to a full-service grocery store in Everett. This creates a disadvantage for anyone who does not own a car. As outlined in our 2018 Community Food Plan, Everett can be characterized as a Food Swamp, meaning that fast food options and convenience stores are readily available but they lack fresh fruits and vegetables among other nutritious options.
- Everett Residents Unable to Grow Food: Many residents of Everett and specifically renters have been suppressed from growing their own fruits and vegetables on their property. There are no policies yet in Everett to protect these renters from growing their food. Soon, with the help of the Everett Food Policy Council, that will hopefully change: We are hiring a community organizer to help with rallying the community around a comprehensive urban agriculture ordinance.
In 2020, ECG opened their first farm stand and began accepting HIP/SNAP/ P-EBT/ Card and Cash payments in order to make their produce more accessible to all. This year while the NSCF is being renovated, ECG has opened a new location on Broadway and will continue to grow and sell produce from this site.
If you’re interested in learning more, getting involved, or supporting our work, please contact us at everettcommunitygrowers@gmail.com.
What People Say
“I’m so proud to be part of the Everett Community Growers. The knowledge gained from learning about food, culture and community has been priceless.”
-ECG Staff Member
“I’ve been working with Everett Community Grower for 5 years now and it has been great. It has given me the ability and opportunity to meet so many amazing people in our community. It was wonderful to see how far ECG has come from when I started.”
-Nicholas Howe, Youth Crew Member
ECG “Brings people together and helps kids to understand from where our food is coming.”
-Tremont St. Community Grower
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