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Issue #40 | March 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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Sign on to our white paper
Attend Ag Day
Supporters of Massachusetts agriculture can join stakeholder groups and advocates at Ag Day at the State House on April 12. Registration is free.
Support the new budget
Save the date
The first in-person HIP Lobby Day since 2019 will be on May 9 at the State House. Watch for more details coming soon.
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Highlights of the
Collaborative's work.
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Campaign for Food Literacy Launch a success!
A great audience attended this virtual launch to hear from wonderful speakers about the ways in which An Act to promote food literacy (SD.1348 / HD.2580) would help ensure that all students have access to food system education in K - 12 schools. Bill sponsor Senator Jason Lewis spoke about how this bill will help students to make informed decisions around food, leading to systemic change in the food system. We also heard from a parent, a teacher, a student, and two nonprofit educators about their passion for food literacy. The recording is available here and the slideshow is here.
As a result of advocacy efforts from stakeholders and community members, 42 legislators have signed on to support the bills thus far. Advocates and stakeholders are urged to encourage their legislators to cosponsor the bills, by reaching out to them with messages about how important it is for students to learn about the food system in school.
This campaign is based on conversations with dozens of teachers, nonprofit educators, parents, and students which highlighted the creative ways in which educators are integrating food literacy into their classroom, cafeteria, garden, and community, as well as the barriers to providing this education to all students. To learn more about our research, the campaign, and how to get involved please see this website or contact Brittany Peats at brittany@mafoodsystem.org.
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Governor Healey’s First Budget Promotes Environmental Justice, Food System Infrastructure
On March 1 Governor Healey released the first annual budget proposal of her new administration. With a throughline of support for climate change resilience and mitigation, the fiscal year 2024 budget for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs would increase significantly under this proposal. The budget represents significant investments in environmental justice, as well as funding for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program, HIP, and MDAR. Read more here.
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Congratulations, Commissioner Randle!
On February 27 the Healey administration announced that Ashley Randle will become the new commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources. Randle has been deputy commissioner of the department for the past four years, responsible for legislative affairs and many other projects. She has worked closely with many stakeholder groups, and was instrumental in the establishment of numerous programs including the Food Security Infrastructure Grants, the mental health and wellness program, and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). She grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Western MA and is a Trustee to the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation Board.
“Having been raised on a dairy farm, Ashley deeply understands and appreciates the agricultural industry. Her experience will be critical to guiding agricultural policy for our state, supporting our farmers and fisheries, and promoting access to nutritious foods in every community,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue my service to the Commonwealth as a member of the Healey-Driscoll Administration,” added Randle. “We will continue to work to ensure a safe and secure food supply while building a more equitable, robust, and resilient local food system.”
We look forward to working with Commissioner Randle.
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Advocates Offer Briefings on Legislative Priorities
The Collaborative and nine other food system stakeholder organizations held a legislative briefing for stakeholders on February 5, to discuss their legislative and budget priorities for the coming session. A video of the session is available here.
The Collaborative and several community partners also offered a briefing for legislators on our eight priority bills on February 10. Dozens of legislative offices were represented as the Collaborative made the case for our bills on food literacy, ag equity, PFAS, HIP, and other critical issues. A video of this briefing is available here. If your organization is interested in signing on in support of these bills, please use this form.
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More Attention to Agriculture in the New Legislative Session
In reorganizing itself for the new session, the Massachusetts state legislature established a Joint Committee on Agriculture for the first time. Previously, agricultural issues were part of the very large docket addressed by the Joint Committee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Agriculture. This designation and investment of resources is an acknowledgement of all of the work that farmers and stakeholder groups have done to elevate agricultural issues and the need for thoughtful policy solutions to the industry’s challenges. We look forward to working with the chairs - Senator Anne Gobi and Representative Paul Schmid - as the Committee deliberates the many farming bills that will come before them this session.
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Inspiring work being done by some
of our friends in Massachusetts.
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Salem Food For All
Salem Food For All, Salem’s food policy council, has been meeting as a grassroots group since 2016. It was funded by a Mass in Motion grant and published the Salem Community Food Assessment in 2018. The group worked to establish an urban farm, Mack Park Food Farm, successfully advocated for the passage of Salem’s urban ag ordinance, and helped to coordinate the food relief programs during the pandemic. After deciding that they wanted to develop a more formal structure and after considering various formats, the Council voted to become connected to the city.
In the fall of 2022, the group became a city advisory committee. It now has 10 appointed members, including representatives from the school food service department, local food assistance organizations, and Salem State University, as well as one open spot. The Council hopes to include more residents with lived experience with hunger as well as more food retail businesses and restaurants.
Salem Food For All applied for a grant from MDAR to create a strategic plan to help guide their work for the next several years. The group is onboarding members and providing them with opportunities to learn more about the local food system. The group also plans to do outreach around the new urban ag ordinance and work to expand composting.
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Thoughtful insights about
food system issues.
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Thousands in Mass. Facing End to Elevated SNAP Food Aid
Around 630,000 households in Massachusetts that have been receiving extra SNAP benefits during the federal COVID pandemic emergency will stop receiving the extra payments in March. The additional federal SNAP dollars began in March 2020 to help combat the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On average, the SNAP emergency allotment has added an additional $151 to a household's normal monthly benefit of $335 in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Transitional Assistance. The extra benefits have accounted for approximately $90 million in federal nutrition dollars flowing into the state each month.
To ease the transition, Gov. Maura Healey proposed a supplemental budget on Jan. 30 allocating $130 million to provide SNAP recipients with 40% of their previously enhanced allotment for another three months, which her office dubbed an "offramp" to the end of expanded benefits.
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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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