Letter from Anne

Dear Friends,

Jonathan and Anne picking blackberries

This past fiscal year was nothing short of transformational for our youth, staff, farms, and partners in the communities we serve. On behalf of The Food Project, I would like to thank all our donors and partners who continue to help us create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults who work together to build a sustainable food system. We wouldn’t be where we are today without your continued support. 

In this report, I would like to share with you several highlights:

•  We finalized and began implementing a strategic plan designed to enrich our three areas of focus: youth development, food justice, and community health.

•  We surveyed more than 100 former youth employees who completed at least two tiers of our programming. The results showed just how much The Food Project is empowering young people to cultivate meaningful change in the world.

•  We were fortunate to receive significant funding that went directly to onsite improvements at our Wenham and West Cottage farms.

•  We launched a winter farmers market at the Dudley Greenhouse, with an online ordering option with pre-packed bags for those who didn’t feel comfortable shopping onsite.

As this report is being finalized, I am preparing to leave my role. This is a bittersweet time for me because The Food Project holds a very important place in my heart and it is hard to leave such an amazing organization. That said, we are in a position of strength, with greater financial stability and a strategy for embracing our future. Interim Executive Director Jonathan Rosenthal will be guiding the organization to continued success while the search for a long-term leader is underway. 

Anne Hayes
Executive Director, 2019–2022