Brockton Youth and Food Security
A conversation with Charles Montfort of the Outsiders Reading Group
NOFA/Mass works with a variety of partners and groups across the region in Food Access/Sovereignty. In August, we began a new partnership with the Outsiders Reading Group in Brockton, introduced through the Pocasset Pokanoket Landtrust. Listed below is a discussion with Charles Montfort of the Outsiders Reading Group and NOFA/Mass Food Access Director Sis. Anna Muhammad:
Sis. Anna Muhammad:
How was The Outsiders Reading Group started? What was the driving force to begin working with youth and agriculture?
Charles Montfort:
Our organization was started from a small homework/reading group at the Brockton Library that turned into political education. As we continued to work at the library and discuss our community and the conditions we live in, the group wanted to get out into the community. Our first couple of on the ground projects were community clean ups.
The students we were working with at the time and the overall group wanted to expand on a project that would positively impact the community. The students made the decision to start a community garden. Ross Depina and I recently began collaborating with Corey Dolgan, a sociology professor at Stonehill College, who connected us with the Brockton Garden Network.
The Brockton Garden Network assigned us a garden to revitalize at The Raymond School. This is where we started our 1st garden project. The Sabura Summer Camp was operating out of the same school on our 1st summer rebuilding the garden. Another Stonehill professor and Brockton community member (Aminah Pilgrim) is the founder of the summer program Sabura.
This was not planned but once we realized we would be at the same school as Sabura, we decided to use the Garden as a teaching tool and activity for the summer camp. Some of our students were also working as councilors at the camp as well that summer. After the first summer we continued the project every year since 2017. The summer camp has expanded from 80 to approximately 200 students today.
How many locations do you have?
Currently we are working at the Davis and Raymond Schools in Brockton. The Raymond location is our original garden which we maintain and use to test out new items and growing methods. The Davis location is the school where Sabura (the summer camp) was operating this year and next year.
Our group had also built a garden at the Goddard school, which we shut down after 2 years last year due to the Sabura program moving.
What are your thoughts and desires for the future of your program?
Our group wants to supply the food pantries in Brockton with a substantial amount of food. We would also like to grow enough food to supply the Sabura program. Part of our future goals are to expand into a bigger more permanent space for the garden and overall program. When this happens, we can assign the students more responsibility and have them manage certain elements of the project. Working collaboratively with the schools to incorporate the garden into their curriculum is also something we are working towards. We are planning to work with some teachers and students from the Davis School this year in our community gardens. There are some teachers at The Raymond School who have also expressed some interest in our garden in that space.
We have also discussed plans on working with Sabura afterschool programs as they begin to expand. Establishing a stronger relationship with The Pocasset Pokanoket Landtrust over the last year and planning for future collaboration is a big part of our future plans.
