Dear Farmers and Food Producers: |
|
Well, it's that time of year again β seedlings off and running in the greenhouse, plant sales underway, narrowly avoiding nighttime frosts! We hope your spring is off to a wonderful start and that your season is looking bright. Even as your days get longer and busier, I hope you'll reach out to SEMAP when you encounter challenges, want to share your successes, or just need to chat! The SEMAP team will be out and about across the region this spring and summer, and we'd love to visit you. We especially love helping with farm tasks while we chat! Please don't hesitate to reach out this season.
In this email you'll find information on:
- Our upcoming events
- Grant and award programs for food producers
- Other educational events and workshops
- A potential farm volunteer program
- Local farming jobs
- And more!
|
|
With gratitude,
Shannon Hickey (she/her)
Program Manager
(781) 908-4466
|
|
Our Twilight Grower Series is BACK! |
|
We kicked off our 2023 Twilight Grower Series earlier this month at E.L. Silvia Farms in Dighton! Expert fruit farmer Ed Silvia talked us through apple orchard best practices, plus some bonus peach info. He even fired up the chainsaw and let us all help him prune! Heather Faubert from RI Cooperative Extension joined Ed to talk about orchard pest management and diseases to look out for. We had so much fun with all who were able to join us, and we hope we'll see you at the next one. Thanks, Ed and Heather!
|
|
Join us at our next Twilight event on Thursday, June 9th at Langwater Farm in Easton at 5pm. Farmer Kevin O'Dwyer will take us through the evolution of the farm's wash-pack facilities and practices. Starting out with not much more than a hose and a tent, Langwater Farm now has a state-of-the-art farm store with washing & processing space, an additional packhouse for overflow, and a detailed tracking system for all of their crops.
Langwater also has a great relationship with MDAR's Produce Safety Team, who'll be joining us at this event to answer all your FSMA and food safety questions! They'll shed some light on the new water & traceability FSMA rules, too.
Our Twilight Grower Series is a great opportunity to gather with fellow farmers, connect with service providers, and exchange skills with other folks in the agriculture world! These events are all FREE but registration is helpful. Find our growing line-up of events here and mark your calendars!
***We're excited to share that we'll be offering free childcare at all Twilight events this year!***
|
|
The height of agricultural grants season winds down this month, but there's still a lot out there! Take a look at a few of the currently open grant, reimbursement, and award programs below, then check out a complete list on our webpage!
-
Urban Agriculture Program: To increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth.
- Deadline: May 22nd
-
Climate Smart Agriculture Program (CSAP): To enable ag operations to proactively address risks related to climate & natural resources, as well as strengthen their economic and environmental resiliency.
- Deadline: May 26th
-
New England Food Vision Prize: To support innovative ideas and collaborations that result in increased regional food sourcing by New Englandβs educational institutions.
- Deadline: letter of interest due June 16th, then you may be invited to submit a full proposal by August 25th
|
|
REMINDER: SEMAP can assist Southeastern Massachusetts farmers in grant applications. We can help you determine your eligibility, walk through the application together, review before submission, offer a letter of support, or any combination of these! Apply for assistance here or email Shannon at shickey@semaponline.org with any questions.
|
|
NRCS to Review Applications for EQIP, CSP, and Other Programs on June 2nd |
|
Your local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) staff is gearing up to review applications to several of their year-round grant programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a popular option for high tunnels, irrigation, and cover crop seed, and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), a great choice for farmers looking to sustain & expand existing conservation efforts. These programs may fund land-based agriculture and aquaculture operations.
These programs, like most NRCS programs, are open year-round, but they only get reviewed 2-3 times per year so you may want to catch the June 2nd deadline. Compared to other funding opportunities, NRCS applications tend to be a much lower lift! To get started, reach out to your NRCS office or staff-person. Please note that you'll need to be registered with FSA in order to receive any funding from NRCS.
|
|
Two FSA Disaster Programs to be Reviewed on June 2nd |
|
Check out this fact sheet that shows each program's eligibility and payment levels. If your farm has experienced revenue loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or last year's declared drought disaster, you may be eligible! Get in touch with your FSA office or staff-person to get started. |
|
Two Virtual Workshops for Pursuing or Expanding Value-Added Food Production |
|
MAY 24TH: The Massachusetts Agricultural Innovation Center (MAAIC), a project of the Franklin County CDC, hosts monthly webinars to explore the logistics of starting or scaling up a value-added enterprise on your farm! The next one is on Wednesday, May 24th from 11am to noon, and registration is FREE. Participation in this event may also prepare you to work 1-on-1 with MAAIC (for free or at a highly reduced rate) for things like finding processing space, applying for financing, evaluating your enterprise profitability, and more! |
|
JUNE 9TH: Through a partnership between Commonwealth Kitchen, CISA, UMass Extension, URI Extension, and the Western Mass Processing Center, join the Successful Food Product Development for New Food Businesses course. There are three parts of this course: (1) self-paced course work through UMass Amherst, (2) live Zoom class on Friday, June 9th, 9am-1pm, and (3) office hours for focused questions the week of June 12th. The course is offered at a sliding scale. |
|
Workshop Series: Starting, Growing & Managing a Food Business |
|
Our friends at CISA are organizing a workshop series for those starting, expanding, or sustaining a food & farm business in Massachusetts! Workshops will be a mix of virtual sessions and on-site Western Mass sessions. All workshops are free to attend, and compensation may be available for BIPOC and low-income participants. Check out the first few below!
On-Farm, Hatfield: Tuesday, June 13 β Growing Produce in the Pioneer Valley β 3:30-5pm: kick off this workshop series with a farm tour and a discussion of the basics of starting a farm business.
Virtual: Tuesday, June 27 β Choosing a Food Business Model β 6-7:30pm: this workshop will cover choosing a business legal structure, including LLCs, sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and more.
Workshops will continue throughout the fall and winter.
|
|
MA Nursery and Landscape Association Summer Trade Show & Conference |
|
The Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) is hosting this year's Summer Trade Show and Conference on Thursday, July 27th at the Marshfield Fairgrounds! This is a great opportunity for nursery, landscape, and floriculture professionals to network with each other, meet service providers, and learn new skills. Check out the full slate of events, and register as a vendor or attendee. |
|
NOFA/MA's Northeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program
|
|
Our friends at NOFA/MA are Core Partners in the Northeast Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), a USDA-funded program that will continue through October of 2027. Part of this work is the implementation of a mentorship program for those pursuing organic certification, and they are currently seeking mentors and mentees! Please fill out this quick form if...
-
You have operated a certified organic farm for at least three years and are interested in being a paid mentor for fellow farmers this fall, OR
-
You are operating a farm and would like the assistance of an experienced organic farmer during your transition to organic.
Please also stay tuned for future collaborations between SEMAP and NOFA/MA to explore the intricacies of organic transition, including a cost analysis and discussion around certifying on leased lands!
|
|
SEMAP is Starting a Farm Volunteer Program! |
|
We at SEMAP are working to develop an on-farm volunteer program, where we can gather and train non-farmer volunteers to help out at our regional farms! As we get this off the ground, we want to hear from local farms:
- Are you interested in hosting a trained and supervised volunteer group?
- What kinds of tasks would you like a volunteer crew to complete?
- How many volunteers can you accommodate, for how long, what time of year, and which days of the week?
- Do you have any concerns with bringing a volunteer group to your farm?
If you're interested, please reach out to anyone on the SEMAP team to discuss these questions! If you'd like to volunteer on regional farms, reach out to support@semaponline.org to get started. |
|
For more workshops, webinars, and other opportunities, check out our event calendar!
|
|
SEMAP maintains a Local Food Jobs page on our website! You'll find local food and farm job listings relevant to Southeastern Massachusetts. Here are a few picks currently on the page. Want to share a listing? Email info@semaponline.org.
|
|
Consider registering as a SEMAP Business Member. Membership with SEMAP helps us continue to provide promotion and technical assistance to farmers across Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond.
Business members receive a host of benefits, including...
- Member Spotlight on SEMAP's blog
- Access to business development resources
- Discount ads in Local Food Guide
- Free boosted Facebook posts
Membership is available at several levels. Come join us!
|
|
PO Box 80625,
S. Dartmouth, MA 02748
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
β
β
β
β
β
β
β