A campus farm changed Jack’s life–now he’s paying it forward
Meet Jack Levine of Town to Table
When Jack Levine first started college at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, he had never heard of container farming, let alone imagined it as a career. If you have followed Freight Farms over the years, you might remember that Clark University was home to the first-ever pro-type farm back in 2012, and later became the location of a very successful joint Freight-Farm-to-Campus program between Clark and Sodexo in 2016. This was the very program Jack eventually became a part of.
“Once I got to Clark, it became clear to me that Freight Farms was the industry leader in container farming. The resources they had built were just about all that I needed to learn how to operate a farm.”
- Jack Levine
Jack first got involved with the campus Freight Farm in his sophomore year, and the rest is–as they say–history. Starting as a farm intern, Jack worked at the farm consistently throughout his remaining years (with a small hiatus during a study abroad working on a soil farm in Costa Rica). By Junior year, he had inherited the role of Head Hydroponic Farmer and was overseeing all of Clark’s urban agriculture program initiatives. During his senior year, he used the farm as the basis of an in-depth business model for his course thesis and realized that there was potential to start a successful sustainable agriculture business. With his plan, his best friend Temen, and his brother Isaac, Jack launched Town to Table a few months after graduating in 2019.
“I was committed to a career in sustainable agriculture.”
- Jack Levine
Jack’s business plan wasn’t your typical direct-to-consumer strategy. Jack explains:
“Town to Table was founded to serve schools, distributors, restaurants and food banks in the Boston area. Additionally, Town to Table partners with schools and educational organizations to introduce small-scale hydroponic garden projects featuring a garden-based learning curriculum, on-site training and ongoing operational support.”
Jack believes that one project, in particular, captures his vision for Town to Table:
“A project we are particularly passionate about is our partnership with Seven Hills Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Worcester. Our project, Sustainable Farming: Activating Health through Skill Building, Education, & Community Partnerships uses hydroponic gardens and curriculum emphasizing therapeutic garden-based learning.”
And beyond the educational component, Jack sees the Seven Hills program as a way to inspire more people to take up a career in sustainable food and agriculture–maybe even to become Freight Farmers like him!
“The program builds transferable skills that lead to volunteer and community- based work opportunities in the sustainable food sector for adults with disabilities.”
- Jack Levine
Jack also acts as an expert farmer and consultant for the schools and organizations he works with, helping them procure and manage their Freight Farms or classroom units. In his own farm, located in Boston, Massachusetts, Jack interacts with the community in another way–by feeding them! Working with local distributors and restaurants, Jack supplies fresh and nutritious lettuces, kale, chard, mustard greens, tatsoi, sorrel, and more.
“Since becoming a Freight Farmer, I’ve started asking a lot of questions about where food comes from and how it’s grown.
Local food has a traceable, transparent supply chain in which the source and distribution chain are easily identified.”
- Jack Levine
As a local food producer, Jack believes that this role in the local supply chain is of the utmost importance in the wake of COVID-19.
“If there is a silver lining to the situation we are in now with COVID-19, it’s that many people are beginning to question where their food comes from and how it is handled and produced. As agriculture may be the most direct contact humans have with the natural world, we have been presented an opportunity to potentially reshape how we think about food, elevate our collective consciousness, halt environmental degradation and move towards a diversified system of food production emphasizing local farms, community-based solutions, and sustainable practices.”
So, what does the future hold for Town to Table?
“We plan to continue building lasting partnerships throughout the community using Freight Farms to initiate community-based, traceable, resilient, and transparent supply chains. In addition, we intend to expand our educational component into schools to empower more individuals to grow their own food year-round.”
As for people looking to follow in his footsteps, Jack has some advice:
“The welcoming Freight Farm community is a great resource for information and support. I’d suggest reaching out and chatting with a Freight Farmer to begin building a network of growers. Social media is a great resource, farmers love to show off their farms!”
Interested in learning more?
Check out our interview with Jack to learn more about his experience farming on campus, launching his own business, and catering to schools and organizations.
