In this Issue
- Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program
- More Funding and More Vendors for HIP!
- Urban Ag Coalition Update
- Small Parcel Farming Update
- Guidance on Safely Opening Farmers Markets
- Federal Program Supporting Some Massachusetts Farmers
- A Resilient Local Food System: Conversations to help the Commonwealth Recover
- Racial Equity and the Food System Articles
- Job Postings and Upcoming Food System Events
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Funding Available to Local Food System Stakeholders through Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has launched a grant program to support farms and other food businesses and institutions that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. A key recommendation of the Governor’s Food Security Task Force, the goal of the
Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program
is to “ensure that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have access to food, with a special focus on food that is produced locally and equitable access to food.”
Applications opened on Wednesday, June 10, and projects will be funded on a rolling basis through September 15, as funds allow. Farms, fisheries, retailers, processors, and other entities “facing disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and face difficulty in bringing their food to market” are eligible.
The RFR has a long list of examples of the kinds of projects that are eligible, and broadly states: “Projects will support the immediate and projected needs of the Commonwealth’s local food system, including (i) information technology needs; (ii) facility adaptation to new safety guidelines; (iii) storage, processing, and delivery equipment to adapt to supply chain disruptions and to serve food insecure residents, and (iv) other strategies that connect local food production with food insecure communities and residents and increase food equity for all residents.”
The full application and instructions are available
here
. Some key details:
- Funding is available for a range of sized projects, from very small to as much as $500,000.
- Applicants may submit up to three proposals.
- Evaluation criteria include demonstrated evidence of impact and need, a commitment to equity, sustainability and scalability of the project, and other factors.
- Funding is on a reimbursement basis, so funds will be distributed only after costs have been incurred and receipts submitted.
- Funding is for capital infrastructure and equipment purchased must be new.
- Funding may not be spent on labor or food.
- There is no match requirement.
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More Funding and More Vendors for HIP!
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Additional funding for HIP
As part of a response to food security needs brought on by the public health crisis, Governor Baker recently announced an additional $5 million for HIP incentives. This funding is being allocated from emergency federal resources offered to states in response to COVID-19, and recognizes the increasing need for healthy foods for food insecure Massachusetts households.
To help ensure the program can meet this growing demand, the Campaign for HIP funding has revised our budget ask for fiscal year 2021 to $17 million. This funding level is also supported by the legislature’s 133-member
Food System Caucus
. Members of the Campaign have been reaching out to their elected representatives this week to share this ask and will continue to do so as the budget process moves forward. Everyone who supports HIP is urged to contact their state legislators to ask them to advocate for increased funding for the program - please see our
Call to Action
.
HIP program opens to new vendors
Thanks to the continued advocacy of the Campaign, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) has opened the program to new vendors, allowing retailers to apply to be considered for new HIP terminals in parts of the state currently underserved by the program, particularly in communities hardest hit by COVID-19. The Notice of Opportunity is
here
.
The process to become a HIP retailer is:
- Become a USDA SNAP retailer
- Apply to DTA by July 1 to become a HIP retailer or add a new HIP authorized point of sale:
- DTA is specifically seeking new/existing vendors in areas highly impacted by COVID-19, areas designated as food deserts, and areas with relatively few HIP access points relative to their SNAP client populations. Vulnerable populations are defined as those for whom food insecurity has been disproportionately exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to seniors, people with disabilities, people confined to their residences because of illness or chronic medical issues, people of color, and people whose primary language is not English.
- DTA is specifically seeking vendors who will sell via innovative models that reach clients where they live and thus reduce in-person contact to limit the transmission of COVID-19. Examples of distribution methods preferred during the COVID-19 pandemic include delivery, curbside pickup, mobile markets and/or CSA models.
- A panel of reviewers from DTA, MDAR and DPH will review the applications based on several qualifying criteria.
- Selected vendors must use their new terminal or CSA program to sell their produce to clients in the communities noted in their proposal. Requests to sell at additional locations not listed in a proposal must be approved by DTA.
- After being approved by DTA, a retailer can apply to the EEA food security grant program (see above for more details) to fund purchases of HIP processing equipment (eligible items include: iPad, card reader, receipt printer, data plan, app license fees for one year), as needed. Note that the grant program provides funds on a reimbursement basis only. (For applicants for whom the initial cash outlay is overly burdensome, short-term loans are available from the PVGrows Loan Fund.)
- After being approved by DTA, attend a HIP training session offered by DTA.
- Start selling in approved locations!
The Collaborative will be reaching out to farmers, particularly farmers of color, who have expressed interest in becoming HIP authorized to serve their communities.
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MA Urban Ag Coalition Update
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The Collaborative has been working with Mill City Grows and the Springfield Food Policy Council to facilitate the
MA Urban Ag Coalition
. During regular Zoom calls, urban ag organizations from around the Commonwealth are discussing how they are changing their operations to respond to safety concerns and the increased need for healthy food in their communities, sharing resources, and identifying other opportunities for collective work and resource sharing. Calls thus far have focused on community garden and school garden changes, employing youth during the summer, and funding challenges and opportunities.
On the calls concerning funding many organizations shared that as a result of the COVID-19 crisis their costs for staffing and materials have increased, while their earned revenue from markets and farm stands is decreasing. As organizations have altered their food distribution models they have seen increased needs for staffing to pack and deliver food, more vehicles to transport the food, additional cold storage for produce, and technology for ordering systems. The new safety protocols have required purchasing many additional materials including hand washing stations, produce washing stations, tools so each person using the garden has their own, PPEs, and new boxes for each food distribution. Urban ag organizations would also benefit from additional technical assistance to build out online delivery platforms, develop virtual programs and virtual safety training, and create best practice protocols.
To encourage the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to include urban agriculture organizations when directing funds from the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, the Coalition submitted a
letter
, signed by over 30 organizations.
To continue reading this article, go to our
website
.
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Small Parcel Farming Update
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Since the 1940’s farmland in MA has been steadily converted to other uses. From 1940 to 2017, 1,446,300 acres, 74.6% of our farmland, was lost to development, resulting in a patchwork of noncontiguous farmland and parcels of farmland and former farmland with many parcels that are fewer than five acres in size.
At the same time, farming has changed in the Commonwealth. Between 1960 and 2017 the number of farms in the Commonwealth under 10 acres grew by 57% and since 1982 the number of new and beginning farmers farming under 10 acres grew by 147%. In 2017 10.2% of all farmers exclusively rented their land. Of these, 86.2% farm fewer than 10 acres.
The Collaborative is continuing our work on the need to better support farmers who steward smaller parcels of land.
To continue reading this article, go to our
website
.
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Guidance on Safely Opening Farmers Markets
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As the COVID-19 pandemic grew, local boards of health and other municipal bodies, along with market managers, vendors, and shoppers, understandably became concerned about how to operate farmers markets safely. Most winter markets were cancelled and some summer market openings were put on hold.
Following the release of state guidance from MDAR and DPH, which set the terms of operations for services deemed essential by the Governor, some markets still struggled to obtain municipal approval to open in large part due to confusion around the state guidance and whether such guidance has precedence over local regulators.
In an effort to provide consistent information to assist market managers and municipal regulators, the Collaborative worked with the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards to issue a
joint guidance document
. The guidance supports the opening of farmers markets and recommends that market managers, vendors, and local boards of health work to follow the state orders and guidance to operate farmers markets safely.
To continue reading this article, go to our
website
.
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Federal Program Supporting Some Massachusetts Farmers
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The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. The USDA posts weekly updates on where the money is going, by state and sector.
As of June 8 the program has provided Massachusetts farms with $187,699.17 (62 applications) for non-specialty crops, $0.00 (0 applications) for specialty crops, $322,447.19 (88 applications) for livestock, and $1,825,670.75 (56 applications) for dairy.
While the support for livestock and dairy is critical, the imbalance of funding raises questions about the program’s value to specialty crop growers. There are opportunities for Congress to make changes to program details, as they have with the Payroll Protection Program, in order to make the program more accommodating, especially for seasonal businesses and specialty crop growers.
Nationally, livestock producers have taken in the most money, about $676 million, followed by row crop growers and dairy farmers, each receiving more than $300 million. Growers of specialty crops like fruits, nuts and vegetables have received less than $25 million. Most of the payments have gone to Midwestern farmers in states like Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and Kansas.
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A Resilient Local Food System: Conversations to help the Commonwealth Recover
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As we work to respond to and recover from the public health crisis, the Collaborative is launching a process to help develop recommendations for the local food system and shape our priorities for the future.
The COVID-19 outbreak and the responses implemented to mitigate its further spread have altered every part of Massachusetts’ local food system. Farmers, fishers, retailers, processors, restaurants, schools, emergency food agencies, and other businesses and institutions have had to transform the way they operate. Every household has had to adapt as well, as access to food has become limited and erratic, particularly for those already struggling with food insecurity. Each action taken to address the crisis has had ripple effects that affect the operation and functionality of the food system. Careful consideration is required to address how the local food system functions now, and how we’d like it to function in the future.
The MA Food System Collaborative is facilitating a process to gather input, generate systems change and policy recommendations, and advocate for those recommendations to the legislature and governor. We are working with local networks around Massachusetts to convene online discussions and meetings about how we collectively want the local food system to function as we emerge from this crisis, what the obstacles are to achieving those goals, and how we can overcome those obstacles. This is an opportunity to capture the success stories of the tremendous local work that has emerged, identify where there are gaps, and determine what resources are needed to fill those gaps and better integrate all of our work.
To continue reading this article, go to our
website
.
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Articles on Racial Equity and the Food System
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Just Roots has created a webpage of
Equitable Food System Resources
, with links to organizations advancing food sovereignty for black, brown and indigenous folks as well as ways to take action around food insecurity and more readings.
It’s Not a Food Desert, It’s Food Apartheid
: “‘Desert’ also makes us think of an empty, absolutely desolate place. But when we’re talking about these places, there is so much life and vibrancy and potential. Using that word runs the risk of preventing us from seeing all of those things.”
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Job Postings and
Upcoming Food System Events
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Job Posting Sites:
Job Listservs:
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Upcoming Food System Events:
Know of another great source of events or jobs?
Let us know
!
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Massachusetts Food System Collaborative |
www.mafoodsystem.org
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