Projects

Farming in Massachusetts faces many challenges from high land costs, to insufficient education and technical assistance resources, to incongruent regulations, to an inadequate labor supply. The Collaborative works to connect agricultural organizations with food system policy and advocacy efforts designed to create a more secure and sustainable local food system.

Our food system, like our country, was constructed within a systemically racist framework. As healthy food relies on healthy soil, a healthy food system relies on practices based on an understanding of this framework and a commitment to dismantling it.

Check out responses from candidates to the Collaborative’s questionnaire here! The local food system relies on wise public policy to function well. Laws and regulations about land, natural resources, health and safety, and other issues all impact how sustainable and equitable our food system is, as do public investments in programs. Across the food chain, […]

While the state limits the authority of municipalities to take action on certain issues, such as zoning, municipalities have significant power over their local food system – property taxes, public water and sewer systems, public school systems, local public health measures, public works and public safety all fall under a municipality’s jurisdiction to regulate. The value in municipal-level work to support the food system is significant.