News

On January 24 Governor Healey released her second budget proposal, proposing continuing and increasing some important investments in a challenging fiscal environment. The Governor’s commitment to environmental justice is reaffirmed, proposing Environmental Justice liaisons across the EEA agencies to support community outreach, public hearings, and stakeholder involvement, and better align hiring practices and inter-agency coordination […]

250 people attended the 2023 MA Food System Forum on December 8th in Worcester. Attendees met and reconnected with each other over breakfast and lunch and attended lively workshops. Please see below for summaries of the workshops.  Morning Sessions What’s next for food waste reduction in Massachusetts?    This session focused on what is currently working […]

The Collaborative was glad to contribute to the state’s newly released Farmland Action Plan, after advocating for its creation a few years ago. The plan’s three primary goals of protection, access, and viability are deeply intertwined and interdependent, and it will take collaboration between many stakeholders to achieve the goals as they are laid out.  […]

The 2023 Forum was held on Friday, Dec. 8th from 8am – 4pm at Holy Cross in Worcester. We look forward to strengthening the statewide food community, discussing important food topics, and developing skills so we can all advocate for a stronger, more equitable MA food system. As of December 5th, the Forum is sold out. […]

The 2023 MA Food System Forum will take place on Friday, December 8th, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester from 8 am – 4 pm. Purchase a ticket here. If the event fee of $50 is prohibitive, we have a limited number of scholarships. To apply for a Forum Scholarship, please fill […]

The Collaborative is hiring a Network Manager who will develop, implement and manage projects that support a sustainable, equitable, and resilient local food system. The Network Manager will work with a portfolio of stakeholder organizations to clarify the public policy issues that affect their work and their constituencies, build their capacity to engage in advocacy […]

The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative seeks an Executive Director who is a visionary leader and systems thinker with deep knowledge of and passion for food system issues and of racial inequities to lead this impactful and highly regarded organization toward its vision of a local food system where everyone has access to healthy food, to land to […]

The fiscal year 2024 budget has been signed by Governor Maura Healey into law! This year’s budget includes several important wins for a sustainable, equitable, resilient food system. The Food Security Infrastructure Grant program is funded for the first time in the annual budget at $25 million, signaling a strong commitment from the Governor and […]

This growing season has been particularly hard for farmers across the state. This summer’s frequent storms led to saturated soils and flooding in the Connecticut River Valley and central Massachusetts in mid-July. Subsequent floods during the following days added to the existing damage. What used to be once in a generation flooding is now a […]

A new report puts forth a regional goal of producing and consuming 30% of New England’s food needs in the region by 2030. Commissioned by the New England State Food System Planners Partnership, a collaboration between six-level food system organizations, including the Collaborative, and Food Solutions New England, it outlines the role New Englanders can […]