MANUALS

The Food Project’s manual series captures the nuts and bolts of each of our acclaimed programs. Written for our staff but accessible to other organizations, these guides address the fundamental principles, structures, and philosophies vital to the success of any youth-based program. Each manual describes in detail all of the steps necessary to implement and manage a specific area of The Food Project. This series is meant to assist those who want to do similar work in their own community.

Seed Crew Program Manuals, Volumes I, II, and III 
The Food Project’s Seed Crew (formerly known as Summer Youth Program) employs 72 youth from greater Boston and the North Shore of eastern Massachusetts to work on the land, grow organic produce, serve the community, and grow together. Behind the scenes, this program is complex to run and execute. These three manuals will provide readers with an entire picture of how to recruit young people, how to train them, how to set up the program, and how to run it once the summer begins. The three volumes together form a complete guidebook for running a successful and dynamic summer youth program.

Volume I: Recruitment (2007) Download (PDF)
Volume II: Set-Up (2004) Download (PDF)
Volume III: Implementation (2008) Download (PDF)

Academic Year Program Manual 
Annually, this program employs young people who have completed our Summer Youth Program to work on community-based projects during the school year. Members of the D.I.R.T. Crew (Dynamic, Intelligent, Responsible Teenagers) dedicate Saturdays and after-school hours to lead over 1700 volunteers on our rural and urban farm sites, work in shelters, and attend conferences to speak about their experience working for The Food Project. This manual discusses every aspect of this program and is a great resource for those looking for ways to engage young people throughout the year.

(2004) Download (PDF)

Suburban Agriculture Manual
The Food Project manages a over 40 acres of farmland in eastern Massachusetts and distributes over 250,000 pounds of produce annually. This manual explains how to run a sustainable production farm while integrating thousands of youth and volunteers throughout the season. You will learn how to set up a farm to accommodate, celebrate, and utilize the labor of people who are walking onto a farm for the first time and will be forever changed by their experience. Included in this manual are tools for crop planning, labor management, and produce distribution, as well as tips for an abundant harvest.

(2008) Download (PDF)

Urban Agriculture Manual 
The Food Project grows produce on urban farms in Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts. This manual details how we create healthy soil, how we intersect with the community, how to work with the young people involved in The Food Project’s programs, and how to plan urban food lots. This manual specifically addresses the trials and successes of agriculture in an urban arena.

(2008) Download (PDF) 

Farmers’ Market Manual 
The Food Project runs farmers’ markets in Boston and Lynn. Our manual discusses setting up the market, selecting produce, training workers and young people, marketing, and keeping business records.

(2003) Download (PDF) 

Volunteer Manual
This manual is a thorough introduction to The Food Project’s Serve and Grow farm work volunteer program. The Food Project depends on over 3,000 youth and adults to assist us in growing food, keeping our city food lots beautiful, and reclaiming urban land. This manual outlines recruitment, scheduling, and designing programs for volunteers.

(2000) Download (PDF)Â