Gardens for Good (G4G) is a program that turns lawns into food production, contributing to providing healthy options for our neighbors who need help stretching their food dollars, restoring the ecological vitality in the way we grow our food, and fostering a more resilient, self sufficient community.

Donations in 2026 will help us expand our number of gardens in production, increase the diversity and quantity of crops so that there will be harvesting earlier and later during the year, increase the quality of the soil, and streamline the process to onboard new volunteers including beginning gardeners.

The produce we grow is donated free of charge to the En Ka Food Pantry in Winchester and the Council of Social Concern in Woburn. We have delivered hundreds of pounds of tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, squash and cucumbers. The patrons of the pantries appreciate the quality of the vine ripened, just picked produce.

Gardens for Good now consists of a network of fifteen gardens. The gardens have been converted lawns of two churches, one elementary school, a YMCA, a Woburn Community Garden plot and a dozen homeowners. Some are from expanding existing gardens but most are from converting suburban lawns into food production.

The gardeners of G4G come from all levels of experiences including bringing together homeowners who are not able to physically garden with potential gardeners without their own land. Adrienne Altstatt, the farmer at Wright Locke Farm, Winchester's organic community farm is an advisor for the gardeners.

The Winchester Farmers Market Community Hub, at the beginning of 2023, created Gardens for Good. Now with three growing seasons completed we are looking towards 2026. G4G promotes organic/regenerative gardening practices. We don't use synthetic fertilizers, amendments and pesticides to increase the health and fertility of the soil. We grow food that is heathy for human consumption and for the environment.