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Issue #49 | January 2024
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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Share your HIP story to support a Campaign for HIP Funding supplemental budget ask!
The Campaign for HIP Funding is working to secure $5 million in additional funding for HIP, to avoid a potential program suspension later this spring. Please follow this call to action to support HIP!
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Highlights of the
Collaborative's work.
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Thanks for making the Forum a success!
On December 8, more than 250 people gathered at the Hogan Center at Holy Cross in Worcester for the 7th Annual MA Food System Forum. Following a locally-sourced breakfast, the day began with our Board Chair, Vivien Morris welcoming everyone and introducing our new Executive Director, Kristina Pechulis. Collaborative staff members, Becca Miller and Norris Guscott then reported on the Collaborative’s work over the past year, and Representative Paul Schmid gave an update on current food system work in the legislature. Steering Committee Member Liz O’Gilvie helped ground us in the larger meaning of food systems work and introduced the morning workshops. Morning workshops included sessions on food waste, the recently released New England Feeding New England report and state brief, ongoing food security campaigns, municipal engagement with Local Food Policy Councils, and authentic community engagement for policy & system change.
Our Plenary session, “Reflections on the 2023 Growing Season: Where Do We Go From Here To Support Resilient Agriculture?” was facilitated by Collaborative Policy Director, Becca Miller and focused on our collective response to the climate-related disasters of the 2023 growing season. Massachusetts farmers Ben Clark, David Fischer, and Barnabas Forndia, each of who suffered severe losses in the late freezes and summer floods of 2023 were joined by MDAR Commissioner, Ashley Randle to recap the growing session and discuss where we go from here. Following lunch, former Collaborative Executive Director, Winton Pitcoff, and former Program Manager, Brittany Peats, were recognized for their contributions to the Collaborative and the local food system as a whole. Representatives Paul Schmid, Natalie Blais, Hannah Kane, and Senator Comerford received awards and were thanked for their partnership in making the local food system a priority in the legislature, and for stepping up during this year’s tumultuous growing season.
Afternoon workshops included sessions on local seafood, housing and food systems, youth and the food system, next steps of the Campaign for Food Literacy, and a follow up discussion on the plenary session on climate resiliency in agriculture.
The day ended with the opportunity for attendees to meet Collaborative staff and Kristina Pechulis and welcome her into her new role as Executive Director. If you were not unable to attend but would like to introduce yourself, Kristina can be reached at kristina@mafoodsystem.org
Overall the day was what we always hope the Forum will be: an opportunity for people to come together from across the Commonwealth to make new and strengthen longtime connections, share and learn together, and make progress towards a shared vision of an equitable, sustainable and resilient food system.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for making the day a success!
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Welcoming our new Network Manager!
The Collaborative is very excited to welcome Emily Fidanza! Emily will be starting in her new role as Network Manager on January 16th. In this role, she will be facilitating our Local Food Policy Councils, Urban Agriculture, and Food Waste network groups and the Campaign for Food Literacy. We look forward to our partners meeting her in upcoming meetings!
Emily joins us from Health Resources in Action where she was a Program Officer working on the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds. She has experience working with grantees across the state who are implementing policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to address social determinants of health. Emily studied human services, with a concentration in food systems and public health, at Northeastern University. She also has experience working at Boston Cares and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and participating on the Southcoast Food Policy Council. In her free time, Emily enjoys photography, soccer, hiking & walking, reading, and spending time with her husband and dog Geno.
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Farmland Action Plan released
The Collaborative is excited to see the long-awaited Farmland Action Plan has been released. This is an exciting opportunity to work for protection, access, and viability of farmers across the state. Read our full thoughts here.
MDAR is hiring a Plan Coordinator to work on the implementation, an important role we look forward to working with in the future.
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Inspiring work being done by some
of our friends in Massachusetts.
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Medway Community Farm
Medway Community Farm was recently featured on WCVB’s Chronicle program! The town purchased the land in 2009, after successful advocacy by a group of residents that wanted to conserve it for open space and agricultural use. At the farm, 4th graders grow their own vegetables over several field trips, and at their final visit they harvest. The farm has a farm stand, CSA program, and donates to food pantries and works to make the farm a true community resource by addressing food access barriers.
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Thoughtful insights about
food system issues.
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Mass. food insecurity rate rises almost 50%
A sobering report from Hunger Free America shows that the rate of food insecurity has risen by almost 50% in Massachusetts from 2021 to 2023. The report attributes this rise to the expiration of increased federal and state-funded benefits during the pandemic. Now is the time to continue to invest in programs like HIP, which are triple win for farmers, families, and local economies. Read the report 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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