Haley
House

Thornton Street Urban Farm & Community Gardens

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Thornton Street

Preserving the Gem

Through urban farming at Haley House, we strive for creative, practical and life-giving practices which allows us to grow accessible, affordable, colorful, nutrient-dense, flavorful, beautiful food. Not only do these practices not rely on exploitation, but they also create positive, healing, empowering and rich relationships. Learn more below.

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Thornton Street

Preserving the Gem

With the rapidly shifting urban landscape of Roxbury, preserving the rare gem of open green space that is the Thornton Street Farm has become a rallying point for Highland Park residents. After years of dedication, our neighbors at the Hawthorne Youth and Community Center (HYCC) secured a license on the land from the City of Boston, and Haley House began working to convert the land at 95R Thornton Street into a community garden and a small urban farm in the spring of 2014. 

Grow It, Cook It, Share It

In April of 2014, a handful of community garden plots were built and planted. Highland Park neighbors and volunteers from Haley House began by building ten raised garden beds along the fence lining Thornton Street. Throughout the months of July and August of 2014, Haley House partnered with HYCC to support a pilot summer program for middle and high school-aged youth: “Grow It. Cook It. Share It” where the Thornton Street Farm was the “urban agriculture learning laboratory” for the youth leaders as they learned all aspects of sustainable urban agriculture and nutritious cooking.

Take back the kitchen

The Thornton Street Farm grows nutritious, fresh, colorful produce for our bakery cafe in Nubian Square – just a mile down the road.  In addition to providing food for the daily cafe menu, Take Back the Kitchen classes and Community Tables, the farm continues to partner with the Hawthorne Youth & Community Center to host youth and family programs changing the food landscape in Roxbury and beyond.

We host limited volunteer opportunities at the farm. To sign up to volunteer at our farm, visit our volunteer page and fill out the appropriate application.

Sample language to share with your attorney:

“I bequeath to Haley House, 23 Dartmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, [the sum of __________ Dollars ($____)] [ _______ % of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate], to be used for its general charitable purposes.”

Sample language to share with your attorney:

“I bequeath to Haley House, 23 Dartmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, [the sum of __________ Dollars ($____)] [ _______ % of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate], to be used for its general charitable purposes.”