BOSTON — Farmers and agricultural lobbyists told legislators on Tuesday that if “An act fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts” is passed, it would ensure farms across the state remain viable for generations to come.
The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries heard testimony on S.55, sponsored by Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and its House counterpart, H.112, sponsored by Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield. The legislation, also referred to as “the farm bill,” would require the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to create an emergency preparedness plan taking into account agriculture, seafood and food production; create pathways for preserving more land for agriculture; codify the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program that provides financial assistance to farms; and prohibit bylaws and zoning ordinances that “unreasonably regulate agritourism,” among other provisions.
“The farm bill would be transformative for the viability of Massachusetts’ food and agriculture systems,” said Margaret Moulton, executive director of Berkshire Grown and a member of the Massachusetts Food Policy Council. “It makes a number of reforms to support farms and farmers and to preserve valuable farmland.”
Kelly Coleman, deputy director of the South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), said the legislation would address multiple challenges that farmers the nonprofit works with have reported facing. These include the increasing cost of equipment and operation, training future farmers and preserving farmland.
“We know directly from those members and partners how challenging it is to manage successful businesses in the current climate right now. Our local food system relies on these small businesses and our small family farmers that grow, transport, prepare and sell us local food, and insulate us from global supply chain breakdowns and can adapt quickly to serve our local communities in times of disruption, as we saw during COVID,” Coleman said. “This bill provides a number of provisions that will provide some additional layer of support for our farmers and small-scale food system businesses so that we can retain a resilient and an operational food system.”
Karen Schwalbe, executive director of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, said making it easier for farmers to bring tourists to their farms for educational and recreational programs would allow them to boost their incomes.
“Massachusetts farmers face steep challenges. Our farms are small, and most farmers work off the farm to make ends meet. One way to keep farms viable is to let them diversify,” Schwalbe said. “The farm bill gives farmers a second stream of income while connecting the public to where their food comes from.”
Silas Giguere, secretary of the Franklin County chapter of Future Farmers of America, said the legislation would help educate people about the importance of agriculture and excite young people about future careers in farming. It would also provide funding sources that could ease the burden of buying necessary, but expensive, equipment for farmers.
“This creates direct foundations and connections with not only agricultural education, but can build connections and branch pathways into continuing agriculture further,” Giguere said. “With one of the lowest GDPs in the state, the amount of assistance this could bring families who are facing some instability in their funding could be really beneficial.”
Dan Bosley with the Farm Bureau Federation added that 10% of the land in Massachusetts is used for agriculture, and agriculture contributes to 13% of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP). He said supporting local farmers would support the local food chain and ensure Massachusetts residents have better access to fresh food.
“A local supply chain is fresher. It’s more nutritious and it’s closer to us, so it’s a matter of food security, too,” Bosley said.
Still, Schwalbe noted the legislation is not perfect and the bureau has suggestions on how it could tie in other bills and aid farmers in ways like transporting equipment on main roads. Hadley farmer Joe Czajkowski added that the legislation could be tweaked to encourage more collaboration among farmers, so farmers could then better support their local food banks and food systems.
“I’d like to see an addition in there. Right now, under Department of Labor rules, it’s punishable if a farmer touches product from another farm, which is goofy because I’d like to see it made so that farmers can work together to supply food banks, food rescues, schools and the Meals on Wheels programs,” Czajkowski said. “It would be a big help if farmers could work together to supply those.”
The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries has created a summary explaining the goals and potential impacts of the legislation, which can be read below:
Blais said written testimony on the bills can be emailed to jointcmte-Agriculture@malegislature.gov.