Photo at Medway Community Farm in Westport

Last month, Mass DTA released a Notice of Opportunity for new HIP Vendor Applications. The state will be opening several new terminals this year, and new and existing HIP vendors are encouraged to apply. The application period is open until June 8. DTA will be hosting a Zoom info session on Thursday, May 5 at 1 pm.

DTA is taking several factors into consideration in this process, including the ability to reach Priority Communities such as Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton, and Priority Populations, including SNAP clients with disabilities and/or Black SNAP clients, who have historically accessed fewer HIP locations compared to other client populations.

If you decide to apply, please email jlehner@semaponline.org so that we can put in a good word for you!

Be on the lookout for the 2022 Local Food Guide, coming to a local farm stand near you this month! SEMAP staff are putting the finishing touches on the Guide as we speak, working with our printer to get it out to our community for the start of the season. We can't wait to share our catalog of local farms, markets, seafood, grocers, restaurants, and more.

If you want copies of the Local Food Guide delivered to your business, make sure to fill out the order form here. Orders must be for a minimum of a full box (60 Guides), but all deliveries are free!

'Tis the season for lots of open food producer grants! Take a look at a few of the currently open grant, reimbursement, and award programs below, then check out a complete list on our webpage.

Join New Entry Sustainable Farming Project for their Farmer Resource Fair on Friday, May 13! The event will feature representatives from an array of important and helpful organizations, including FSA, NRCS, UMass Extension, Massachusetts DTA, and MDAR. Enjoy personalized one-on-one time with each of these service providers, and meet other farmers, too!

This event is free, but folks are encouraged to sign up in advance so New Entry staff can coordinate a meeting time for you and the organizations you are interested in meeting with. The Fair will be held in-person in Beverly.

We recently read an article in Growing For Market, a magazine focused on local food, discussing the importance of soil health and rethinking how we understand the ground under our feet.

In "Soil: A Living, Breathing Ecosystem," author and farmer Jen Aron of Blue Raven Farm in Oregon discusses in detail just how alive the soil is. Even though we can't see it with our eyes, our soil is made up of countless microorganisms and other living matter, interacting with each other, our plants, animals and even us. When we understand the soil to be alive, it makes us rethink our relationship with it, and leads us to a different sense of how to treat and interact with it. Click below to read the full article - we hope you find it as interesting as we did!

Join FairShare CSA Coalition and the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) for a 6-month deep dive on Incentives for CSA. This Community of Practice will provide a facilitated discussion space for individuals and organizations actively administering CSA incentive programs.

• Customer Recruitment and Education (May/June)

• Backend Logistics and Administration (July/August)

• Determining SNAP Payment Schedules for CSA (September/October)

Last week, the Massachusetts State House of Representatives passed its budget for FY23, which included full funding for the state's Buy Local organizations! It also included support for other important local food priorities, including the Healthy Incentives Program, Massachusetts Farm to School, a School Meals Extension and more! Check out this breakdown of the food security budget from the MA Food Policy Council to see the full details.

The next phase of the budget process is the State Senate taking up their own budget items, which will begin this week. Now is a great time to tell your state senators to let them know you would like to see Buy Locals and food security funded in the next budget, as well as thanking your State Representatives for their support in the House Budget! Your support is greatly appreciated.

Join Bristol Aggie High School this Saturday for a Community Open House! The day will feature an exhibit on Massachusetts Agriculture Today, the opening of the newly renovated Gilbert Hall, a campus tour and scavenger hunt, plant and flower sales, and a Bristol Aggie baseball game to end the day.

The event kicks off at 9am at Keith Hall, where you can find many different groups talking about their role in our food system and how they support local agriculture, including SEMAP. Be sure to stop by and say hello, and stick around for the rest of the today to learn more about what Massachusetts agriculture looks like in the present, and what lies ahead in the future!

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is excited to bring back their Local Food Fest for the first time since 2019 this summer on August 9 in Newport RI. The event features dozens of local farms paired with chefs from some of the top local restaurants. Meet these local food stars, watch live dish preparation, and enjoy their delicious creations along with local wine, beer, signature cocktails, live music, and the beautiful water-view setting of Castle Hill Inn's Chalet Patio and Lawn overlooking the Newport Bridge spanning Narragansett Bay.

The event will feature several of our great local farms, including Langwater Farm, Hocus Pocus Farm, DaSilva Farm, Ward's Berry Farm, and more. You can see the whole lineup and purchase tickets at their website.

With the weather finally warming up, and the days getting longer, now is the perfect time of year to settle into a nice porch chair or spread a picnic blanket and enjoy the sun with a good book.

Robin Wall Kimmerer's classic, "Braiding Sweetgrass," is a foundational text for thinking about our relationships with food, land and indigenous peoples and cultures. Drawing upon her experience as a biologist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation, she weaves a touching and heartfelt narrative in her search to confront our current world, including modern food and agriculture.

The book moves across Kimmerer's own personal journey, detailing her learning about her own background and culture, her discovery of and passion for botany and plants, and the tension she has felt trying to educate and share these ideas with a world so far removed from them.

Have something you've seen, heard, or read that you think fellow farmers & foodies would like, too? Send your recommendation to [email protected].

As the growing season continues, SEMAP wants to update you on current and upcoming produce in season in Southeastern Massachusetts. We hope this helps you plan recipes and get the most out of local food!

Throughout May, be on the lookout for...

And don't forget about year-round local products like meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood!

Have you checked out our Local Food Jobs page recently? You'll find local food and farm job listings relevant to Southeastern Massachusetts. Here are a few picks currently on the page. Want to share a listing? Email [email protected].

Farm Assistant at Rosasharn Farm in Rehoboth

Multiple Field Positions at Skinny Dip Farm in Westport & Little Compton

Summer Internships at Osamequin Farm in Seekonk

Farm Store Staff at Freedom Food Farm in Raynham

Local Food Program Coordinator at Sustainable Business Network in Cambridge