News

More than 200 advocates and practitioners from all sectors of the food system attended the 2nd annual Massachusetts Food System Forum on December 12 in Leominster. The day was spent highlighting food system stakeholders’ work over the past year, and planning for collaborative action to come. Collaborative co-chair Liz Sheehan Castro, Director of Advocacy at […]

<p>Our December newsletter features updates on HIP, a report from the 2nd Annual MA Food System Forum, introductions to new Collaborative staff members, policy updates, and more.</p><p>Read the newsletter <a href=”https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-Collaborative–Forum-recap–HIP-updates–new-publications–and-more.html?soid=1127423385830&aid=z16hcJMVjPo”>here</a>, and click <a href=”https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=0017MUPXRF6yzefTy43dPu6aPstawW5k658PBKT1p71A1nA8P2EXuGwtLCvqkJihPGdrS6LUT-3k7LnGIaaR8r0dlF0-A0Ssz2stMvbPonQ_jdkCM8JGOdrlV1FD7cWkijXPj95MhAmqS09JFp_YH8CJjsPg_19KHsY”>here&nbsp;</a>to subscribe to get future issues in your inbox.</p>

2nd Annual Massachusetts Food System ForumWednesday, December 12, 2018 • 9:30 am – 3:30pmDoubleTree Hotel, 99 Erdman Way, LeominsterRegistration Now Open Speakers:Kathleen Merrigan, former United States Deputy Secretary of AgricultureMA State Representative Steve Kulik Join us for a day of networking and collaborating as we build on the success of last year’s MA Food System […]

Governor Baker has signed the FY2019 budget. The budget includes $4 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which doubles SNAP households’ purchases of fresh produce when they buy it directly from farmers. This program launched in April 2017 and has already generated more than $5 million in sales for MA farmers and provided tens […]

The MA Food System Collaborative has released “Sustainability and Equity in the Massachusetts Food System: A Progress Report.” This report showcases organizations, businesses and networks working toward the goals in the MA Local Food Action Plan, which was completed at the end of 2015. Each organization highlighted in the report is working toward a sustainable, […]

The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) re-launched in May after a suspension of slightly more than a month. As the growing season begins, SNAP recipients are once again able to earn a one-to-one match for their purchases directly from farmers at participating farmers markets, mobile markets, farmstands, and CSAs. The program’s suspension on April 15 happened […]

The governor has introduced, and the legislature is considering, the quadrennial environmental bond bill. The 2018 version of this spending authorization (H.4599, An Act promoting climate change adaptation, environmental and natural resource protection, and investment in recreational assets and opportunity) proposes funding for many programs supported by Plan recommendations. The Collaborative has been working with […]

The MA Food System Collaborative is working with Massachusetts Farm to School and other partners to develop and advocate for a set of policy changes that would increase schools’ ability to purchase more local food and incorporate more agricultural and nutrition education into their curricula. When schools purchase foods from local producers, they introduce students […]

Massachusetts’ Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program is one of the oldest state  farmland protection programs in the country. Enacted in 1977, the program targets the most productive soils and purchases perpetual easements that assure the land will be available for farming for generations to come.  Since the program’s inception, provisions have been added that work […]

More than 80 advocates, farmers, and SNAP recipients participated in HIP Lobby Day at the Massachusetts State House on March 1, meeting with legislators and staff to educate them about the Healthy Incentives Program and the need for ongoing funding to support it. The Program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for SNAP dollars spent on fruits […]