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Issue #35 | Oct 2022
Supporting collective action
toward an equitable, sustainable, resilient, and connected local
food system in Massachusetts.
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Things you can do right now to
support systemic policy change.
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Support more solar without displacing food production
As the state gathers input from residents to determine where new solar arrays should be sited, weigh in via this survey by mid-October to let them know that new solar capacity should not displace food production on farmland!
Encourage reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting agriculture
Participate in an upcoming hearing on October 6, 7, or 12 on the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plan to help ensure that food system needs are considered in the process.
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Highlights of the
Collaborative's work.
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Urban Ag Coalition builds skills and capacity
The MA Urban Agriculture Coalition was formed in 2020 in response to the pandemic as a mutual aid group by Lydia Sisson and Liz O’Gilvie, who brought the idea to the Collaborative. Since then, the coalition has held more than twenty skill shares on topics ranging from municipal land access, to building raised beds, to grant writing. Notes from previous skill shares are available here, as a resource to all urban ag practitioners around the state.
The coalition works to create space for practitioners to connect and nurture relationships that can lead to greater collaboration between organizations. One of the successes of the coalition is a growing understanding among stakeholders that urban agriculture has many benefits beyond pounds of food grown, from creating pollinator habitat, educating youth on where food comes from, cleaning urban air, and more. The coalition has also boosted awareness of state grant opportunities that urban growers can apply for, hosting sessions on the Food Security Infrastructure Grant and the recent Local Food Purchasing Agreement opportunity.
Some of the coalition’s upcoming skill shares include: a session on public policy and ways to get involved to benefit urban agriculture in November, building donor relations and writing a great annual appeal in December, and seed ordering (bring your catalogs!) in January. Please join us! Email Becca to get involved.
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Inspiring work being done by some
of our friends in Massachusetts.
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Neighborhood Food Action Collaborative
Neighborhood Food Action Collaborative (NFAC) is a collective of many community-based organizations and individuals addressing food insecurity in Boston neighborhoods. NFAC was formed in December 2020 to meet unmet needs and increase communication between disparate programs. NFAC consists of two groups – one based in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury, and another based in Hyde Park and Roslindale. The Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury group members have a private Facebook group to share upcoming events, resources, and opportunities.
The Roslindale and Hyde Park group is facilitated by Health Leads, and has several initiatives including the Hyde Park Food Pop Up on Fridays; the Roslindale Food Collective, which distributes food at a middle school on Sundays; and Food Access Volunteers of Roslindale, which distributes food at apartment complexes on Friday. Katsiroubas Brothers, a local food distributor, donates food for the Pop Up. To volunteer, contact Ric Henry or use this signup form.
The Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury group is facilitated by Vital CxNs (pronounced ‘connections’), and is working as community peer-to-peer support to educate neighbors about resources available to them, including HIP, SNAP, the City of Boston’s Double Up Food Bucks and local food pantries. On a recent Saturday morning, NFAC members at the Mattapan Square farmers’ market answered questions from fellow residents in Kreyol, English, and Spanish. To get involved, email info@vitalcxns.org or join the facebook group.
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Thoughtful insights about
food system issues.
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White House conference lays out anti-hunger agenda
In September, the White House released its National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, laying out an agenda “to end hunger in America and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030 so fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases.” Massachusetts was cited for the HIP program as an example of the need for states to “provide nutrition incentives to SNAP participants to purchase healthy food such as increasing the purchasing power of SNAP beneficiaries at farmers markets, and encourage retailers to market more nutritious food in stores and online.” Other recommendations from the Strategy that align with the Collaborative’s priorities and areas where Massachusetts has led include:
- States, localities, and K-12 schools should consider incorporating culinary arts and nutrition education into schools.
- State, local, and territory governments should enact food waste reduction and recovery policies such as providing tax incentives to food donors.
- Advance a pathway to free healthy school meals for all.
- States should work across state agencies to achieve 95% cross-enrollment of eligible people across SNAP, Medicaid, and other federal programs. And, states should aim to process all SNAP applications within one week.
- States and school districts should increase investment in school food programs such as providing investments to support kitchen infrastructure and training school nutrition professionals.
The Strategy was rolled out at the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to be held in more than 50 years, informed by engagement and input from thousands of stakeholders, including this letter submitted by the Collaborative and several dozen Massachusetts organizations. The event was championed by MA Congressman Jim McGovern and attended by elected officials and advocates from across the country, many of them from Massachusetts. Videos of most of the sessions can be viewed here. Congressman McGovern and several advocates held a pre-event discussion in Worcester a few days earlier, which can be seen here.
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Job Posting Sites
Job Listserv
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Upcoming Food System Events
Know of another great source of events or jobs? Let us know!
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The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative envisions a local food system where everyone has access to healthy food, to land to grow food, to good jobs, and to the systems where policy decisions are made. Read more about our vision and our work.
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