Issue #11 | October 2019

This newsletter keeps you informed about the work of the Collaborative and other organizations and institutions toward the goals of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan . You can also follow progress on our website , on Facebook , and on Twitter .

Register for the 3rd Annual MA Food System Forum

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming 3rd Annual MA Food System Forum on Nov 22 in Worcester. The conference is filling up and the early bird price ends October 31 so register soon. Register for the 3rd Annual MA Food System Forum The day will begin with an optional networking breakfast at 9:00am. After an overview of the MA Food System Collaborative's work and selected food system topics, breakout groups will provide updates and brainstorm next steps around: The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) Food waste reduction Agricultural resiliency and climate change Farmland access Evaluating and measuring food systems impact Integrating food system education into schools Race and equity at farmers markets  During the locally-sourced lunch, Massachusetts State Representative Hannah Kane, founder and co-chair of the Legislature’s Food System Caucus, will speak about her work and priorities around nutrition and agriculture legislation.  Keynote: Tensions and Trade-offs in Food System Work Food system work requires some challenging balancing acts. Improving market opportunities for farmers while at the same time expanding access to healthy affordable food for low-income consumers. Promoting the local economy and protecting the environment while maintaining jobs and the tax base. It often feels like trade-offs are inevitable. Becca Jablonski, Assistant Professor and Food Systems Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University, will discuss her research around these trade-offs, and how communities can best work together to promote win-win scenarios.  In the afternoon, there will be skill-building workshops and discussions on topics including:  Nonprofit lobbying State budget process Advocacy Food policy councils and community food assessments State funding and technical assistance and more  The day will conclude with a panel of community groups presenting on their work to strengthen the food system.  Register for the 3rd Annual MA Food System Forum Early bird registration (through Oct 31) is $30 and includes a locally-sourced breakfast and lunch. In an effort to build community, make the event accessible to all, and reduce the environmental burden of this event, we encourage carpooling. If you are interested in carpooling (from Boston, Union Station in Worcester, Springfield, etc.), please sign up here . Email Brittany Peats with questions at brittany@mafoodsystem.org . Thank you to our major event sponsors: Wegmans, Whole Foods Market, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

HIP Updates

Budget From July through September, SNAP households have purchased $2.7 million of fresh, healthy, local food from Massachusetts farmers through HIP. With just $6.5 million appropriated for the program this fiscal year, this rate of spending indicates that another suspension will be likely. To try to avoid this, the Collaborative is working to urge the legislature to include additional funding for the program in a supplemental budget in the coming months. We will notify advocates when opportunities arise to reach out to legislators in support of this investment. Enabling legislation The enabling legislation for the Healthy Incentives Program, S.48 / H.145 , is before the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities and will be tentatively heard at one of their hearings in November. The committee is chaired by Representative Kay Khan (D, Newton) and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D, Boston). The Collaborative and local allies have had positive meetings met with the offices of both Chairs. The enabling legislation was reported out of committee favorably last session but was ultimately not taken up by the Committee on Ways and Means or the full legislature. It has bipartisan and bicameral support; there are 116 cosponsors out of 200 total legislators, with Representative Paul Mark and Senator Anne Gobi as the lead sponsors. This bill will codify the broad parameters of the program into statute, which will help build trust with farmers and shoppers by demonstrating a commitment to HIP’s longevity. The program has been funded for the most recent three fiscal years, but this bill does not make future funding commitments. We encourage the Committee to report this bill favorably out of committee so it can move to other committees and be enacted this session. Second HIP Video The Collaborative produced a second HIP video this summer, to demonstrate the program’s success and share stories of our partners. You can view it here ! Many thanks to Groundwork Lawrence, Gardening the Community, the Forest Park farmers market and vendors, and Mass Farmers Markets and vendors at the Copley Square farmers market for agreeing to appear in this video. Please share widely with your networks.  Food is Public Health Hearing On September 27 the Joint Committee on Public Health held a “Food Is Public Health Oversight Hearing” in Greenfield. Speakers included advocates and practitioners from across the Commonwealth, all speaking to the need for programs and investments in healthy eating as critical to protecting public health. A written summary and video of the full hearing is available here .  The following is the testimony of Emma Morgan, an advocate and HIP customer, from that hearing: My name is Emma Morgan, and I looked up some stats: MA ranks 5th in the nation for direct market sales of agricultural products—that would be CSA’s, farm stands and farmers’ markets—all the stuff we like to call “farm to table.” MA ranks 3rd in the nation for direct market sales per farm, and MA ranks #1…in our nation--#1--for direct market sales as a percentage of the state’s total sales of agricultural products. So our “Farm to Table” ratio as a percentage of our state’s total ag sales is highest in our whole nation. And yet, whose tables are these that are graced so regularly with the bounty of our local farms? This comes down to equity and access. ( Continued here )

Creating a Culture of Inclusion at Mass Farmers Markets Toolkit

Earlier this year the Collaborative convened two workshops entitled Creating A Culture of Inclusion at Massachusetts Farmers Markets. These discussions were a response to the challenges and opportunities resulting from changing demographic composition of customers at farmers markets across the state, due in part to the popularity of the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). The goal was to begin a conversation about the role of farmers markets as a welcoming space for all.  From these workshops came the Creating a Culture of Inclusion at Mass Farmers Markets Toolkit , a compilation of suggestions designed to help market managers and vendors create more welcoming environments.  Tools and suggestions include thoughts on how to better: Connect with the community Celebrate market diversity Improve training for market staff, volunteers, and vendors Build a common language Establish market rules Improve market design Reduce language and cultural barriers Support under-resourced vendors Support the Healthy Incentives Program Share resources between markets Identify additional funding  Please read and share this resource and contact Brittany Peats with additional suggestions and examples.

Food Waste Updates Public Hearings The MassDEP has issued its Draft 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan and it is open now through Dec 6 for public comment. There will be five public hearings on the draft plan. Because there is an important section on food waste, the Collaborative encourages partners to attend and express your support for strong measures to reduce food waste throughout the state. The Collaborative will also plan to send a sign on letter with our comments.  The public hearings will be held on: Oct 30 at 5pm, MassDEP Central Regional Office, Worcester   Nov 6 at 5pm, MassDEP Northeast Regional Office, Wilmington   Nov 7 at 10am, MassDEP Boston Office   Nov 12 at 5pm, Springfield City Library, 1187 Parker Street, Springfield   Nov 19 at 5pm, MassDEP Southeast Regional Office, Lakeville Food donation bill advocacy The Collaborative provided testimony on An Act encouraging the donation of food to persons in need ( S962 / S869 / H1475 ). This bill would remove some of the actual and perceived obstacles for businesses and farms to donate food through providing civil liability protection for persons who donate food directly to consumers, as well as for food establishments that donate food with expired date labels, and providing a tax deduction to Massachusetts farmers in the amount of the fair market value of the donated food, with a $2,000 annual cap per farmer. See the Collaborative's testimony here . We also submitted a sign on letter on behalf of 33 organizations. See the organizational sign on letter here .   Lowering the Food Waste Ban The Collaborative continues to work with the Conservation Law Foundation and others to advocate for lowering the threshold of the Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban so businesses and institutions that create over half a ton of food waste per week must divert it from landfills. Mass DEP supports this change. It will have to go through a public comment period and may be implemented as soon as fall 2021. Advocates are encouraged to attend upcoming Mass DEP Organics Subcommittee meetings to advocate for this change.

Farmland Access Updates Recognizing renters and small parcel farming Most Massachusetts policies meant to protect farmland assume that farmers own the land they work, and that farming takes place on large parcels. However, farming has changed dramatically since 1971, when the Chapter 61A tax benefit for agriculture was created.   Some of the changes that impact farmland access include increased renting of farmland and an increase in farming on smaller parcels. The 2017 Agricultural census found that: 17% of all farmland in Massachusetts is rented, 25% of farmers rent at least some portion of the land they work, 10.2% of all farmers (743) exclusively rent their land, and of these 86.2% (641) farm from 1 to 9.9 acres. Since new and aspiring farmers often begin their operations by renting land, often less than 5 acres, the regulations and policies have made farmland access more difficult and have helped intensify the conversion of farmland. These policies also raise significant questions of equity, since farming of land one acre or less frequently takes place in communities of color, low income areas, and urban settings. But not exclusively -- the patchwork of noncontiguous farmland and parcels of undeveloped former farmland that are small in size occur throughout the state, in a wide range of communities. Changing 61A to address this challenge presents some unique issues, as there is disagreement about whether changing it to serve parcels of less than five acres would be allowed under the MA Constitution. Changes to Chapter 59 Section 5 for certain farmland may be a simpler, if partial, solution. Amending the language to lower the tax value of parcels of farmland less than 5 acres would help keep farmland in farming as well as provide greater access to farmland. The Collaborative will continue to engage allies and policymakers around this issue as well as around land ownership and succession, the needs of land owners and tenants, and government policy and regulation that focus on farmland ownership. Please contact Jeff Cole to participate in these conversations. Rural Policy Plan reinforces MA Local Food Action Plan The Collaborative joined many other stakeholder groups in providing recommendations for the Rural and Working Lands and Climate Change and Resiliency groups that led to the recently released Rural Policy Plan (RPP). There are many important parallels with the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan (MLFAP), and a number of specific recommendations that are similar or nearly identical. Both plans call for more informational and educational resources, technical assistance, regulatory review and reform, targeted financial support and economic development strategies for rural sectors, increasing capacity by service sharing models, upgrading infrastructure, and addressing the impacts of climate change by enhancing the capacity of rural lands to provide solutions. ( Read more here )

Updates from around the MA Food System

Urban Ag Grant Program MDAR is now accepting applications for the Urban Ag grant program; commercial urban food production and community gardens are eligible for funding. MDAR’s Urban Agriculture Program seeks to award grants statewide to promote strategies addressing food insecurity, to expand and create new economic opportunities and to increase access to fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods. Organizations that received funding in the FY20 round are not eligible. Applications are due by 4pm on November 15, 2019. Apply here .

Farm to School Awareness Day Join Massachusetts Farm to School and other farm to school advocates for the third annual Farm to School Awareness Day on October 30 at the Massachusetts State House. An advocacy orientation will take place at the Grand Staircase at 10:30 am. The celebration will begin at 11 am with interactive exhibits highlighting different aspects of Farm to School and celebrating MA Farm to School Month. Finally, partners will meet with legislators to talk about the impact of farm to school programs on their communities. Please RSVP here .

Food System Changing Tool : ABC’s of Urban Agriculture Somerville created the ABC’s of Urban Agriculture to explain the city’s urban agriculture ordinance that was passed in 2012. It includes an overview of the guidelines regarding agriculture, beekeeping, and raising hens. It also includes recommendations to promote best emerging practices, frequently asked questions, additional resources, and relevant forms.

Food System Champion: CommonWealth Kitchen

CommonWealth Kitchen (CWK) in Dorchester is a shared kitchen space that, among many other things, works with farmers to turn surplus produce into value-added products to capture the full value of the harvest.  Originally, when Lakeside Organics in Hadley would peel and spiralize butternut squash for wholesale customers, the ends were sent to the compost bin. Now, CWK collects, washes, roasts, and purees the product into mashed squash that is sold to Boston Children's Hospital and a local soup company.  CWK works with around 15 farms to provide a unique on-demand processing service to turn their surplus into a range of value-added products, most of which goes back to the farms to sell at farm stands and CSAs. In 2017, CWK turned 25 tons of produce that would have gone into compost piles or been plowed under into more than 15,000 containers of tomato sauce, applesauce, pickles and pesto. CWK continues to collaborate with institutions and businesses to create additional customers for value added products made from food that otherwise would have been wasted. In 2019, they expect to process surplus produce worth around $100,000. Learn more from CMK's Ismail Samad at the Forum.

MA Food System News We're Reading

Boston released its Food Access Agenda to end food insecurity by 2030 through several methods including restructuring the Boston Food Access Council, partnering with community health centers to share resources, and working with Boston Public Schools to improve the participation in school meals.  The Food System Caucus Co-Chairs wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe about the importance of the HIP program and calling for additional funding for the program.  The state’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program helps new farmers afford to purchase land.  Massachusetts K-12 schools and colleges and universities are adopting many farm to school programs including serving more local food and teaching about agriculture through hands on education. Many low wage workers, including food service workers, have erratic schedules which can lead to poor health for themselves and their children, and increased rates of food insecurity. Workers of color, and particularly women of color, are exposed to the most unstable and unpredictable work scheduling practices. Despite food being historically inexpensive, people are still going hungry. Solutions require systems thinking. The journal Translational Behavioral Medicine has dedicated its October issue to “Food Access Among Low-Income Populations: Understanding the Potential Intersect of Diet, Obesity, Food Insecurity, and Hunger.” Articles include “Addressing food insecurity in the United States: the role of policy, systems changes, and environmental supports,” and “A pilot food prescription program promotes produce intake and decreases food insecurity.” Want to keep up with food system news like these articles? Follow us on Facebook !

Upcoming Food System Job Postings and Events

Job Posting Sites: CISA Classifieds NOFA apprenticeship listings Good Food Jobs ATTRA paid and unpaid internships New England Ag Exchange Branchfood Jobs SEMAP Jobs and Opportunities Listing Job Listservs:  comfoodjobs Upcoming Food System Events: NESAWG Events Calendar New Entry Sustainable Farming MDAR's bimonthly Farm and Market Report SEMAP Events Calendar CISA Events Calendar Know of another great source of events or jobs? Let us know !

The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative promotes, monitors, and facilitates implementation of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan . We bring together nonprofit trade and advocacy groups, businesses, academics, policymakers, regulators, and consumers to advance recommendations toward the Plan's goals.

Massachusetts Food System Collaborative |  www.mafoodsystem.org

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