July 2026 at Waltham Fields: Growing Food, Strengthening Community, and Celebrating Farm Friends
There's a lot growing at Waltham Fields Community Farm this July! Our food access programs are reaching more neighbors, we're kicking off a new fundraising initiative, and we're celebrating a beloved member of our farm community. Read on for the latest updates, opportunities to get involved, and ways to support the farm this summer.
Our Season Opener Appeal Is Live!
This year, we're launching a new initiative to help sustain the farm during the busy summer growing season: our Season Opener Appeal.
As expenses increase, funding sources become less certain, and the need in our community grows, your support is more critical than ever.
A donation today will help us:
- Provide fresh, locally grown produce to families who need it most.
- Maintain critical farm infrastructure during the busy production months.
- Strengthen a resilient, local food system rooted in care for our community and environment.
Every contribution helps us continue growing food, expanding access, and caring for the land that brings us together.
Fermenting with Flora!
Join Flora from the Somerville Fermentation Festival for an afternoon of fermenting at the farm!
Learn the art of fermentation and discover how to preserve fresh, seasonal vegetables to enjoy throughout the year. You'll head home with a few jars of fermented WFCF vegetables, along with the knowledge and skills you need to keep fermenting all year long.
Celebrating Marla Rhodes: A Full-Circle Farm Story
After decades of dedication to Waltham Fields Community Farm, our dear Marla Rhodes is retiring!
Marla's connection to WFCF began more than 30 years ago when she discovered a volunteer opportunity on a bulletin board at a Cambridge food co-op. What started as a search for connection, purpose, and some "healthy outdoor exercise" became a lasting relationship with the farm and its community.
Over the years, Marla has contributed in countless ways, from administrative work in the farm's early days to foundation grant writing and volunteer coordination. Her commitment to the people, land, and mission of WFCF has helped shape the organization we know today.
We're delighted to share this heartfelt note from Marla in her own words.
A Note from Our Dear Marla Rhodes
Dear WFCF community,
My name is Marla, and I just retired from Waltham Fields Community Farm.
Over three decades ago I discovered WFCF as a volunteer, tearing a tab from a flyer on a bulletin board at the old food coop in Cambridge. A man named Oakes was looking for help to grow food organically on some weedy acreage in Waltham to share with food pantries. I was looking for connection, a sense of purpose, and some "healthy outdoor exercise."
I was eventually hired as the admin person, one of two year-round staff in the early years.
I left after two seasons, but years later came back to help with foundation grant-writing. As the organization grew I took on volunteer coordination as well.
I learned two things those first years: farming is very different from gardening; and volunteering is an under appreciated method of figuring out how you want to live your life. I figured out I wanted to help places like WFCF to exist, and to spend my time amongst people who wanted that, too.
And now my full circle hope is to again come back as a volunteer in my retirement! Amongst other new endeavors I am really looking forward to planting seeds in the greenhouse and scuffling weeds away from the dear and delicious vegetables that miraculously appear each season.
It is so fulfilling and gratifying to think of this as part of my community - as much my community farm as it is yours. I love all that it stands for, and I love you all for caring enough to be part of this community, too.
Peace out and Farm On!
Thank you, Marla, for everything you've given to Waltham Fields Community Farm. We look forward to welcoming you back as a volunteer and seeing you among the vegetables again!
Join the WFCF Ride & Stride for Food Team!
Join Waltham Fields Community Farm and Three Squares New England on September 27 to bike, walk, or go off the beaten path in support of WFCF's Food Access Programs!
Ride & Stride for Food is one of the highlights of the year and a fun event for families, running and biking clubs, and anyone who enjoys food, music, and community.
We're looking for Farm Friends to join our team and help raise funds to support access to fresh, locally grown food.
Food Access Updates: Fresh Produce Making an Impact
Our Food Access Programs are off to a strong start this summer!
Our VegRX Produce Prescription Program is in its fourth week, with more than 400 pounds of fresh produce already delivered. Our Mobile Outreach Market (MOM) is also kicking off, bringing more opportunities for community members to access fresh, locally grown vegetables.
In June alone, we shared over 3,000 pounds of produce, valued at $22,800, with our food access partners:
- Waltham YMCA
- Boston Area Gleaners
- Food Not Bombs
- Healthy Waltham
These partnerships are essential to our mission of making fresh, nutritious food more accessible throughout Waltham and Greater Boston.
Healthy Waltham Is Looking for Volunteers!
Our friends at Healthy Waltham are looking for a few more volunteers to help with food pantry distributions on July 23, August 13, and August 27.
Volunteers play a vital role in helping our neighbors access nutritious food. If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back to the community, consider lending a hand!
Thank You, Representative John Lawn!
We're grateful to Representative John Lawn for his continued support of Waltham Fields Community Farm and our food access mission.
In June, Rep. Lawn initiated an amendment to the Environmental Bond Bill to include $150,000 in support of VegRX, our Produce Prescription Program in partnership with Charles River Community Health.
VegRX helps connect community members with fresh, locally grown produce, and support for this program is an important part of expanding access to nutritious food.
Thank you, Rep. Lawn, for recognizing the value and impact of this work and for your enduring support of our organization!
Thank You for Growing with Us
Whether you're supporting our Season Opener Appeal, joining a farm workshop, volunteering with a community partner, or cheering on our food access programs, you're helping Waltham Fields Community Farm continue its important work.
We're grateful to everyone who makes this community farm what it is. Farm on!





