The mission of the Giving Garden is:We address local food insecurity by bringing together diverse communities of volunteers and guiding them in sustainable, organic farming practices.We operate to reduce food insecurity in the greater Lawrence, Massachusetts area.  We are a small farm that produced over 45,000 servings of fresh produce in 2022, of which 90% was donated to three organizations that run food pantries (Neighbors in Need, Lazarus House and People's Pantry).  We have just one part time farm manager, one intern, and in 2022 we had over 400 individual volunteers who worked to fight food insecurity in our region.An additional goal is to create opportunities for children to volunteer and learn about sustainable food production. We seek to reconnect children with the land that feeds us while helping our hungry neighbors. Working at the Giving Garden has a positive impact on the mental health of the children who attend, through physical activity, the act of volunteering, and being immersed in a green space.This year we are adding education opportunities for kids and home gardening classes for all ages. We follow regenerative, no-till methods and hope we can help home gardeners to better work with their local ecosystem rather than against it. The Garden can improve the health and vitality of our community, not just through fresh healthy produce, but also through the health benefits of engaging in physical activity in a natural environment.