Boston hands over Long Island farm that used to benefit the homeless to fast-food chain

Whatever went down, and I doubt we'll ever be told the truth, it falls squarely in the lap of Marty Walsh. It's another stupid idea that he and his admin alone are responsible for.

If no one runs against Walsh, he wins by default.

disappointment after disappointment. what next?

I've lived on Reading Street, right on the "Methadone Mile" for 12 years. The methadone clinics and the homeless shelters and recovery services in the area were all there before I moved in, so of course I've seen some things in my time living there. But the last two years, since the closing of the Long Island bridge, have been absolute chaos. The area has turned into an open air drug market and people shoot heroin openly in front of pedestrians. I've personally seen 4 people suffer an opioid overdose within view of my house in the last month and saved only by the quick administration of Narcan, thanks to our neighbors at Hope House. In addition to the farm, the Long Island facility helped provide a buffer between active addicts, those in recovery, and the general homeless population. The abandonment of these programs and facilities has led directly to an increase in human suffering, and resulted in public money being spent less effectively than it was before. The idea that a private company will now profit from this situation is beyond infuriating. Marty has literally given away the farm.

The homeless are not going back to the island the real estate is to valuable. Boston is becoming a city of the rich and the homeless population will be evicted. Once a year all the rich phonies will feed the homeless on thanksgiving and get their photos on facebook to show what great citizens they are.

I recently volunteered at the Red Cross food pantry in Mass. Ave and was embarrassed to hand out rotten produce to some homeless and poor children. No wonder they are undernourashed. I think some of the produce was unsellable . Bags of mushy onions and kale that was yellowed with black spots. I think all the walkers from the Walk for Hunger would be doubly pissed. Too bad some more land couldn't be set aside for poor families to tend to their own veggie gardens.

Marty is a typical Masshole politician who assumes because he has the supermajority (D) next to his name he can do wrong and not be fired for it at the polls. I hope a real alternative runs against him and that voters prove that arrogant assumption false.

There are so many corrupt former somethings (venture capitalists, former startup execs, etc) like Jack Connors who conflate philanthropy with making a profit for their friends who have just figured out local food is a thing. Get in good with these guys and your "local food" startup will get the benefit of all sorts of backroom deals. What do you think keeps the Boston Public Market afloat, actual customers?

... the land was just sitting there unused, no one had any plans to do something with it over the next year or so, some restaurant said "hey, we'll farm it and in return give back a big chunk of the produce, maybe it'll be fun?", and then in a year and a half the city can evaluate what it wants to do with the land. And yet some how this is, like, oppressing homeless people and represents just the WORST corruption on the part of the mayor, or something?

....with our politicians, not with b.Good*.

They saw an opportunity, and are going for it. Although I have no doubt it might be profitable, it does seem like some Community good will come out of it as well as kids get to learn about farming and eat some veggies.

Here are the concerns I see:
- Why weren't the former farmers given a similar chance when they asked? Was it because they weren't "in" with Connors?
- When Connors suggested it, why didn't someone say, "Hey, great idea, let's bid it out!"
- Why isn't there any disclosure if Connors is an investor with B.Good?

* As a disclosure, I like B.Good and probably eat there once or twice per month, but I have no other relationship with them. I also thought this was a great idea on the surface, until I learned about others trying to farm there and not being allowed to.

I also think the city was bananas when they evacuated within minutes, leaving patients without medicine and crops rotting on the vine. And oh yeah, making more of a shambles of methadone mile.

All of this is your mayor and his cronies at work. It's not the fault of the restaurant, any more than the Olypics debacle is the fault of the athletes.

It seemed ODD, at least out of Tom Sawyer, that b.good was advertising for volunteers to come and work http://www.bgood.com/hannahfarm/ on their "farm."

Ok, 75% of the crop will "go back to the community" since it "will benefit a summer camp on the island" the ad said.

Now, if I order something with kale or vegetables at b.good, I won't be reading the names of independent farmers on the chalk board. While I wait for my food, I will be thinking of those who lost their jobs working the Long Island farm and of all the money Jack Connors spends on shuttling children to the island instead of sending them to other camps.

Second thought, not that it's there fault, but I don't think I will eat at b.good for awhile.

Since when can the city bulldoze anything through the BHI National and State Park?

If Walsh shoves this through, I think the NPS and DCR might want to have a word. And this is the NPS centennial plus the BHI 20th. The timing is just perfect.

When Marty opened his DNC remarks today, he said, "My name is Marty Walsh and I'm an alcoholic."

I think the man sees everything through his lens of needing to hit "rock bottom". Unfortunately, he's the one doing the digging.