Agriculture

Nuestras Raíces was born in 1992 by a group of community members in South Holyoke who had the goal of developing a greenhouse in downtown Holyoke.

The founding members of Nuestras Raíces were all migrating farmers from Puerto Rico with a strong agricultural background, who found themselves in a city without opportunities.

Realizing that the physical landscape of the city was not being cared for, these community members took action into their own hands. They located an abandoned lot in South Holyoke that was full of trash, needles and criminal activity and came together to clean the lot. The lot became the city’s first community garden, sparking the growth of urban agriculture in Holyoke under the umbrella of Nuestras Raíces.

The network of community gardens that emerged has created opportunities for the members of Nuestras Raíces to organize and communicate about the different issues affecting the community throughout the city. Today, Nuestras Raíces coordinates and maintains a network of 14 community gardens in general - including the gardens of the Holyoke Educational System, and community partners - with over 600 family members and operates a 30-acre urban farm that focuses on urban agriculture, economic development, and creating food systems change.