What we do
The Belmont Food Collaborative began in 2009, when the founders of the Belmont Farmers’ Market saw a need to expand their work and create a nonprofit organization. Here are our current projects, and some previous ones.
Current projects
Belmont Farmers’ Market BFM is our biggest project. It started in 2006 and has been growing ever since.
It’s a great community event, with entertainment, community information, and a broad range of fresh, local produce and prepared food representing cultures from around the world.
The Market is open on Thursday afternoons from June to October in Belmont Center.
Read more at the Belmont Farmers’ Market website.
Belmont Helps Formed during the pandemic, this group works to alleviate food insecurity in the local community. In addition to helping families with food support, Belmont Helps has collected household goods and furniture on behalf of families in need, provided support for refugee families new to town, and helped clients find additional assistance for childcare, food, housing and utility support.
Read more at the Belmont Helps website.
Food Assistance This is at the core of everything we do. We have always worked with the Belmont Food Pantry and we look forward to working with the soon-to-start Belmont Community Fridge.
As a BFM shopper said, The financial help with matching is great. I was able to eat well because of your market.
Read about food assistance at BFM, and about the ways that Belmont Helps serves the community.
Education BFM was the first farmers’ market in Massachusetts to run POP Club, where kids 5-12 get $3 each week to buy any fruits, vegetables or food-producing plants that they want. It turns them into shoppers, meal planners, cooks and savers while they learn about the local food system. Families love it.
We’re currently planning a town-wide forum on food insecurity. Watch for more information.
Past projects
Belmont Composts! Our goal has been to reduce Belmont’s trash by increasing curbside composting. And we’ve been successful, helping well over a thousand households join this program.
Read more at the Belmont Composts! website.
Community Growing This was originally a way to grow produce for the Belmont Food Pantry. It developed into a program to help people in the community learn to grow their own food, whether at home or at the Rock Meadow gardens.
Pomona project The project made available, at cost, fruit bushes and ground covers for local growing. It was named for Pomona, the Greco-Roman goddess of fruitful abundance pictured at the center of the town seal.
Cooking classes We ran a series of cooking classes — because the best way to eat well is to cook!