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Issue #47 | October 2023
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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Testify in support of food literacy!
The legislature’s joint committee on education will hold a hearing on October 11th for several bills, including An Act to Promote Food Literacy (S.310 / H.601). This bill would add food literacy to the list of topics that students should learn about in school and help teachers by identifying high quality lessons, providing professional development, and establishing a trust fund. Please weigh in and provide written or oral testimony to show how this would support students in your community. To sign up, fill out this form by 3 pm Tuesday, and email Becca Miller at rebecca@mafoodsystem.org to let us know that you’re planning to testify.
Apply to the Mass FRESH Grant Program!
- Build new or expand current capacity to grow or procure locally grown and produced ingredients
- Educate students, staff, teachers and food service professionals about the food system
- Connect food system education to the availability of nutritious, locally sourced meals made from unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients and served at schools or early education meal programs.
If you are looking to learn more, please visit MA Farm to School for technical assistance and free coaching.
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Highlights of the
Collaborative's work.
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2024 Health and Physical Education Standards passed into law
The revised health and physical education standards were passed into law by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on September 19th. Thanks to the work of the Campaign for Food Literacy advocates, the following concepts were included in the revision:
- People have different food needs, preferences, and traditions.
- Access, availability, and financial resources can influence decisions about nutrition
- Food availability is identified as a social determinant of health that may impact health at different levels
This is the first time these standards have been updated since 1999, and though they are narrowly focused on nutrition and health education, this is still a step forward for students across the state. The Campaign will continue to push for food literacy for all Massachusetts students by passing the food literacy bill into law, and to break down the silos between nutrition and other components of food literacy.
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Tax package signed into law
Governor Healey signed a package of tax reforms on October 4th after close to 2 years of debate since the bill was first filed by then-Governor Baker. These reforms include an increase to the statewide dairy farmer tax credit cap from $6 to $8 million. It also increases the tax credit for a dependent child, disabled adult, or senior from $180 to $310 in 2023, and then to $440 in 2024 and beyond, per dependent, and eliminates the child or dependent cap. It also increases the earned income tax credit from 30% to 40% of the federal credit.
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Agricultural Equity Bill advances to House Ways and Means
The Agricultural Equity Bill has been advanced from the legislature’s joint committee on agriculture to House Ways and Means. Thank you to Committee Chairs Senator Comerford and Representative Schmid and the members of the committee for advancing this bill! We are hopeful this bill will be passed into law this session.
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Commission on Agriculture in the 21st Century hosts hearings
Norris Guscott, the Collaborative’s Agricultural Equity Network Coordinator, testified to the legislature’s Commission on Agriculture in the 21st century at their September hearing on the Agricultural Equity Bill. You can view his testimony here, starting at 0:51:50. Many legislators agreed on the need for a truly sustainable, equitable, resilient local food system.
The Commission's next hearing is scheduled for 10 am on October 19th, when they will discuss community and economic development. If you’d like to share your thoughts and expertise on these issues please reach out to Griffin Tighe, from Speaker Pro Tempore Kate Hogan’s office at griffin.tighe@mahouse.gov to set up a time for a call, or to share your written thoughts. Please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to staff to share your thoughts.
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Changes at the Collaborative
Hiring a Network Manager
The Collaborative is hiring a Network Manager who will develop, implement and manage projects that support a sustainable, equitable, and resilient local food system. The Network Manager will work with a portfolio of stakeholder organizations to clarify the public policy issues that affect their work and their constituencies, build their capacity to engage in advocacy to change those policies when needed, and help facilitate and coordinate these advocacy efforts. Projects include coalitions, campaigns, and other network-based efforts that support policy change. A full job description and application instructions can be found on TSNE’s website here.
Becca Miller to become Policy Director at the Collaborative
We are pleased to announce that Becca Miller will be stepping into a new position at the Collaborative as our Policy Director. In this new role, Becca will lead our efforts to engage and mobilize our network partners in both the establishment of our policy priorities and positions and in advocating for those policies before the Legislature and state agencies. Anyone who has worked with Becca can attest to her knowledge, wisdom and leadership, and we look forward to bringing her strategic thinking and skill as a policy advocate to all of our network groups and coalitions.
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Introducing Alyssa Rubin, the Collaborative’s new Forum Coordinator!
Alyssa Rubin has joined the Collaborative to coordinate the 2023 MA Food System Forum! Alyssa comes to the Collaborative with an extensive background in community organizing on issues ranging from immigrant justice to Palestine solidarity. She is a longtime Boston resident and enjoys spending time outside in all seasons, biking, and cooking for large groups. She is excited to support this year’s Forum and we are lucky to have her on our team.
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2023 MA Food System Forum tickets now available!
The 5th annual Forum will be held on Friday, December 8th at Holy Cross in Worcester from 8am - 4pm. We look forward to strengthening the statewide food system community, discussing important topics including next steps for the food literacy campaign, climate resilient agriculture, and more, and developing skills we need to advocate for a sustainable, equitable, resilient local food system. Purchase an early-bird ticket here. The early bird price will last until October 15th. If the event fee is prohibitive, we have a limited number of scholarships. To apply for a Forum Scholarship, please fill out this form by October 31st.
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Inspiring work being done by some
of our friends in Massachusetts.
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Massachusetts fishing industry launches quest for a low-carbon future
On August 23, a group of 20 advisory board members from across the fishing and seafood industries came together to launch the Energy Efficient Fisheries (EEF) project. Hosted and co-lead by Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Development Project, EEF will work to improve energy resilience, lower costs and reduce fossil fuel dependence for Massachusetts seafood and fishing businesses. With $2 million in funding secured by Senators Markey and Warren, this project seeks to bring new thinking to energy use in the seafood and fishing sector in MA through a combination of technical assessments, learning exchanges, port-level planning, and more. Gloucester Daily Times Article (paywall). EEF Press Release.
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Thoughtful insights about
food system issues.
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Legislature's Joint Committee on Agriculture visits the Merrimack Valley
The Joint Committee on Agriculture visited Shaw Farm and Mill City Grows on September 29th. After the visits, the group gathered for a listening session that featured Mill City Grows, Shani Fletcher from the city of Boston’s GrowBoston office, several farmers from Dracut, MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle, Karen Schwalbe from the MA Farm Bureau, and Chair of the Ag committee Rep Paul Schmid. Several legislators attended the tour; Senator Ed Kennedy, staff from Senator Comerford’s office, Representatives Natalie Blais, Vanna Howard, Rodney Eliot, Patricia Duffy, Kristin Kassner, and staff from Rady Mom’s office. Issues that were raised included composting services, farmers' need for additional cold storage space, HIP, and support for farmers who donate unsold food.
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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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