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Issue #28 | March 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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Climate change listening sessions for farmers
Farmers' voices are needed as the state develops its plan to combat climate change. Learn more about upcoming listening sessions here.
Gubernatorial Race
What questions would you like to ask candidates for governor about the local food system? Email winton@mafoodsystem.org with your thoughts.
State Budget
Read the Collaborative’s recommendations for the FY23 and ARPA II budgets and let your legislators know about your priorities!
HIP Lobby Day
Join farmers, consumers, and other advocates in support of $20 million for the Healthy Incentives Program for FY23 at this year’s virtual HIP lobby day at 1:00 on March 14. Register here.
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Highlights of the
Collaborative's work.
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Networking established and emerging Food Policy Councils
Food policy councils operate in many cities, towns and regions throughout Massachusetts, working to improve the local food system. These coalitions bring organizations, community members, and public agencies together to build relationships, share best practices, advocate, and work together to improve food production and access in their communities. The Collaborative supports their work through the Food Policy Councils Network. The Network meets quarterly and councils learn from one another and from invited speakers about topics relevant to their work.
The Collaborative also supports food policy councils that are just beginning or are changing their structure and mission through informal monthly conversations where groups are able to share their successes and challenges.
At a recent meeting of emerging food policy councils, several groups had questions about starting community food hubs. In response, the Collaborative created a list of Food Hub Resources and Networks to help inform initial conversations about food hubs. The Collaborative is also advocating for a new grant program to support food policy councils in the FY23 budget.
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Please join us at the New England Feeding New England Quarterly Update Meeting
New England Feeding New England will hold its next quarterly update meeting on March 8 at 1:15 pm. This meeting will be an opportunity to learn more about the planning and research phase of this project, which is working toward moving New England to producing 30% of food consumed in the region by 2030. Nic Rockler, one of the project researchers, will talk about his work to demonstrate the economic impact of the food system within New England. The Collaborative has been participating in this project and invites you to join this meeting. Register here.
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Inspiring work being done by some
of our friends in Massachusetts.
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Plymouth Agricultural Commission
In 2009, the Town of Plymouth passed its Right to Farm By-law and established an Agricultural Committee. Ten years later, Plymouth published the Plymouth Center/Waterfront Area Master Plan, which included four goals from the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan. The Civic Agriculture Program was established to implement the goals of the master plan related to strengthening the local food system and to accomplish this, the duties and responsibilities of the Agricultural Committee needed to be expanded. In 2021, the Committee changed to a Commission so the group can now seek grants, hire staff and experts, publish reports, perform studies and hold land, through the Select Board for Agricultural uses. The Plymouth Agricultural Commission has joined the Collaborative’s network of emerging food policy councils and a representative serves on the Community Advisory Board to the Southcoast Food Policy Council.
The Commission is now beginning to develop a food hub to be the centerpiece of the Civic Agriculture Program. They hope that the hub will include new farmer training, make some of the town’s tax title properties available for innovative agriculture and agroforestry, establish a processing facility with refrigeration and distribution capacity, on-site consumption, one or more community kitchens, and food waste management. Within the next few months they will be assembling a stakeholder steering committee to shepherd the development, construction, and operation of a local food hub in Plymouth.
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Victory in the SNAP Gap campaign!
On February 15 the Baker Administration announced their plan to allow low-income households the right to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when they sign-up for MassHealth. This is progress toward a streamlined application process for means-tested benefits that has widespread bipartisan support in the legislature, impacting roughly 600,000 MassHealth recipients who likely qualify for SNAP.
This represents a significant step toward one of the goals of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan, and is thanks to an excellent multi-year campaign led by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and dozens of other organizations around the state. Read more about the victory here.
(Food Bank of Western MA graphic)
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Thoughtful insights about
food system issues.
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Boston Mayor Wu Announces Expansion of Food and Urban Agriculture Initiatives
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced the restructuring of the Office of Food Justice and the creation of a new office to support urban agriculture. The Office of Food Justice will focus on five pillars to making nutritious, affordable food accessible in Boston: investing in Boston’s food businesses, building coalitions, expanding Boston residents’ access to affordable food that is also culturally appropriate and nutritious, using public procurement of food, and investing in food chain workers in Boston. GrowBoston: Office of Urban Agriculture will work to increase food production throughout Boston; develop and implement innovative food production strategies; provide technical assistance to prospective and existing gardens and farms; develop food production resources for gardeners, farmers, and other residents; and coordinate with other City departments to expand citywide urban agriculture. GrowBoston is focused on food production, while the Office of Food Justice is focused on food access.
(Seth Daniel photo)
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Upcoming Food System Events
Know of another great source of events or jobs? Let us know!
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Job Posting Sites
Job Listserv
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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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