Urban Gardening Education
Meet your Urban Agriculture Ambassador!
We’re excited to welcome Memia McAllister as the new Urban Agriculture Ambassador for Dorchester!
In partnership with GrowBoston Boston’s Office of Urban Agriculture, The Food Project is thrilled to be hosting one of four UAAs working across Boston. The UAAs will provide gardening education and support to residents and organizations in their communities.
Memia is a passionate gardener and community advocate who began her gardening journey in her own backyard. Through hands-on experience and attending countless workshops, Memia gained insight on soil health, seed starting, and the magic of watching something thrive under your care.
Boston gardeners, Memia’s here to help! Send her your gardening questions at UAA@thefoodproject.org.
How can we help?
Open hours
Gardeners will be able to come and meet with their local Urban Ag. Ambassador, Memia, to ask any questions, get support, or take in a hands-on lesson at the locations below. Sometimes there may be a miniworkshop.
- Peace Garden @ the Marshall Community Center, 35 Westville St, Boston, MA 02124
- Wednesdays 9am-12pm, beginning 8/20/25
- Dudley Community Greenhouse, 11 Brook Ave, Roxbury, MA 02119
- Saturdays 9am-1pm, beginning 9/27/25
1:1 Home Visits
Thursdays and Fridays 1pm – 6pm
Gardeners can sign up for 1:1 support in their own gardens to get hands-on help with their garden needs. Gardeners will get the knowledge needed to sustain their gardens for years to come.
Signup and schedule at calendly.com/lmcallister-thefoodproject/
text + call
The Urban Agriculture Ambassador can be reached by phone and text message during business hours at 857-351-6622. For an in-depth conversation, phone consultations can also be scheduled at https://calendly.com/lmcallister-thefoodproject/
Soil Testing
It’s important to know whether your soil contains any harmful contaminants, and to test for nutrient levels to help your garden grow more food!
Schedule a home soil test (by phone, text or at https://calendly.com/lmcallister-thefoodproject/) and the UAA will:
- Bring the sampling kit to a gardener’s home.
- Review directions and assist the gardener in taking soil samples as needed
- Provide instructions to submit the test or support the gardener as needed.
- Hold a follow-up meeting to discuss results and plan the next steps.