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Myra Kraft Open Classroom - 2/15/17 - "Leveraging Regional and Local"
- 1. www.Mass.gov/AGR Commissioner John Lebeaux Northeastern University February 15, 2017 A Snapshot of Massachusetts Agriculture – Leveraging Local and Regional Food Sources
- 2. 2 Perspective: United States Population Density • Massachusetts is 3rd most densely populated state • 852 residents/square mile; 9 times the national average • Massachusetts farmers face development pressure, high land values, harsh winters, and other challenges unique to the Northeast.
- 3. 3 Perspective: U.S. National Agricultural Production Annual Agricultural Value • Total Agricultural Value $395 Billion • New England Total Value $2.8 Billion • Massachusetts Total Value $492 Million New England 1% United States 99% Massachusetts 17% New England 83%
- 4. 4 Perspective: MA Agriculture Annual market value $492 million 7,755 farms Over 523,000 acres Average farm 68 acres $64,000 annually • Agricultural processing and agricultural support industries add value and jobs to state’s economy
- 5. 5 Massachusetts had a 1% increase in the number of farms and a 1% increase in land in farms. Land in farms saw a 14% decrease in cropland and a 29% increase in pastureland. National Trends in Agriculture
- 6. 6 Snapshot of Massachusetts Agriculture
- 8. 8 Census Statistics: Farm Size
- 9. 9 Census Statistics: Economic Class
- 10. 10 Census Statistics: Age of Operator
- 11. 11 Census Statistics: Female Operators
- 12. 12 Trends in Massachusetts Agriculture Increasing numbers of farms - 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 NumberofFarms Year Massachusetts Farms 516,000 518,000 520,000 522,000 524,000 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Farmland(acres) Year Massachusetts Farmland Consumer demand for locally produced foods •Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) •Farm Stands •Farmers Markets •Farm to School Programs •Boston Public Market 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 FarmersMarkets Year Growth in Farmers Markets
- 13. New Product Opportunities for Farmers Farmers are moving from commodities to selling services and value added products -- diversification/differentiation is key: Agri-tourism, Culinary Tourism, Value Added products
- 15. 15 Agricultural Processing Source: A Report by Farm Credit East 2012, “The Overlooked Economic Engine: Northeast Agriculture”
- 16. 16 MA Agriculture Snapshot Source: New England Agricultural Statistics 2012 Greenhouse and Nursery 31% Milk 9% Aquaculture 4% Vegetables 12% Other Crops 8% Other Livestock and Poultry 9% Cranberries 20% Other Fruits 7% Massachusetts Agricultural Output - 2012 Dollars per Commodity
- 17. Agricultural Land Protection APR Program Stewardship Assistance and Restoration for APRS (SARA) Farm Viability Programs Farm Viability Enhancement Program APR Improvement Program (AIP) Matching Enterprise Grants for Agriculture (MEGA) Urban Agriculture Urban Agriculture Grant Food Ventures Grant (Urban and Rural Communities) Environmental Protection Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program (AEEP) AEEP-Drought Program (AEEP-Drought) Renewable Energy/ Energy Efficiency Ag Energy Grant Ag Energy Special Project Grant Mass Farm Energy Program Farm Energy Discount Program Food Safety Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program (AFSIP) Division of Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance
- 18. 18 Massachusetts Food Venture Program The MFVP, part of the 2014 Environmental Bond Bill and funded for the first time in the 2017 Capital Plan $1 Million in FY17, reimbursable grants ranging from $75- 250,000 Provides financial support to food ventures, sited primarily in or near communities of low- or moderate-income, including Gateway Cities and rural communities. Projects will improve access to Massachusetts-grown, harvested or caught food products through the development of collaborations with local agricultural enterprises and private/public entities. The program will also help implement the goals of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan.
- 19. 19
- 20. 20 Examples of Eligible Food Ventures Projects Food Processing Infrastructure Large Scale Local Retail Markets Food Co-Ops Greenhouses and Farmer’s Markets Food Hubs Commercial Community Kitchens Community Supported Agriculture Businesses
- 21. 21 Urban Agriculture Program • State Wide Pilot Program Launched in 2014 • Funding included in 2014 Bond Bill • 4 years, nearly 50 Funded Projects
- 22. 22 Examples of MDAR Funded Projects • The Trust for Public Land, Boston $22,500.00 --Soil management • Nubian Society, Boston $6,476.95 --rainwater catchment system • Mass Audubon and City-Soil & Greenhouse, Mattapan $62,100.00-- soil, irrigation, season extension
- 23. 23
- 24. 24 The MA Local Food Action Plan: Leveraging Resources In 2013, the MA Food Policy Council engaged a planning team to develop: “a well-laid-out vision and plan to increase agricultural production, processing and distribution that will serve as economic stimulus and address multiple related public health and food security issues.”
- 25. 25 MA Local Food Action Plan The planning process included: • Literature review • Data analysis • Over 1,500 stakeholders though • Public forums • Working groups • One-on-one interviews • Website / social media
- 26. 26 MA Local Food Action Plan, 4 overarching goals 1. Increase production, sales & consumption of Massachusetts- grown foods 2. Create jobs & economic opportunity in food & farming, & improve the wages and skills of food system workers.
- 27. 27 Food Plan goals… 3. Protect the land and water needed to produce food, maximize environmental benefits from agriculture and fishing, and ensure food safety. 4. Reduce hunger and food insecurity, increase the availability of healthy food to all residents, and reduce food waste.
- 28. 28 Leveraging Resources In Dec. 2015, the MA FPC accepted the Plan. The past year, 2016 was focused on Implementation. Six priorities are the focus for 2017. Leveraging resources is a priority.
- 29. 29 Food Waste: Leveraging Resources • Reduce food waste through state programs for farmers, restaurants, processors, schools and other institutions, and consumers. A current focus is to support the Commercial Food Waste Ban by developing policies and programs to divert food waste from landfills. Support for donation programs, conversion of food waste to animal feed, composting, and the development of anaerobic digestion facilities are also priorities.
- 30. 30 Framework for leveraging resources The MA Local Food Action Plan offers a template to identify priorities and partners to leverage resources to accomplish goals and objectives in the MA food system. http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/boards- commissions/food-policy-council.html
- 31. www.mass.gov/agr @MDARCommish To sign up for our bi-monthly Farm & Market Report please email: Richard.LeBlanc@state.ma.us 31 For more information…
Editor's Notes
- The Massachusetts Food Venture Program will assist and contribute to the financing needs of local Massachusetts food enterprises and to support the creation of new food ventures, sited primarily in or near communities of low or moderate income, including Gateway Cities and rural communities. Massachusetts Food Ventures Program is part of the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to our agricultural community and to healthy food processors and other food sector businesses to access resources needed for renovation and expansion. These resources will fund the expansion community kitchens, food processing facilities, and food distribution hubs; businesses that advance the goals of the program. The Food Ventures Program supports producers of locally-grown Massachusetts foods, as well as organizations developing or expanding food hubs, local retailers, food processers and distributers, as part of a broad strategy to improve access to healthy foods and stimulate economic activity. Commitment to promoting economic development that serves all regions of the Commonwealth. 5 Awardees: Nuestras Raices, Holyoke Franklin County CDC, Greenfield World Farmers, Lancaster CommonWealth Kitchen, Dorchester The Livestock Institute, Westport
- 5 Awardees: Nuestras Raices, Holyoke Franklin County CDC, Greenfield World Farmers, Lancaster CommonWealth Kitchen, Dorchester The Livestock Institute, Westport Details: Commonwealth Kitchen (Dorchester - $170,000) Commonwealth Kitchen will use their award to invest in specialized equipment and infrastructure improvements in order to expand their contract manufacturing enterprise to produce value-added products to serve Boston’s institutional markets. They will also process gleaned and surplus and produce simple, minimally-processed products to feed low-income and food insecure families. Franklin County Community Development Corporation (Greenfield - $250,000) Franklin Country Community Development Corporation will use their award to expand capacity at their food processing center and create infrastructure by constructing a cold storage unit and purchasing additional equipment needed to increase opportunities for food businesses to start and grow. This infrastructure will increase the amount of locally grown vegetables that are frozen right after harvest and will be sold and distributed during the off season months. Nuestras Raices (Holyoke - $174,000) Nuestra Raices will use their award for the construction and launch of a handicapped-accessible Mobile Market with refrigeration and freezer, a food transport truck and a commercial wash station. The increased infrastructure is anticipated to spur economic opportunity regionally, increase market opportunities for local farmers and create 50 new jobs, as well as additional training opportunities. The Livestock Institute of Southern New England (Westport - $250,000) The Livestock Institute of Southern New England will use their award for construction costs associated with building of a state-of-the-art slaughter house and process facility. The project will also provide educational, job creation and training opportunities for residents with regards to safe and humane handling and slaughtering techniques as well as job training for butchering. World Farmers (Lancaster - $156,000) World Farmers will use their award to improve access to established farming infrastructure for the 250 immigrant and refugee farmers at Flats Mentor Farm and in turn increase agricultural production and marketing capacity. The funding for this project will purchase a walk-in cooler and refrigerated trailer, a commercial food hydrator, vacuum-sealed packaging unit and corn miller and a refrigerated van, thus providing opportunities for farmers to increase access to regionally produced foods and increased market distribution.
- In the first round of funding there was $200K Available, …we Received $2 Million in Requests We knew there was a demand for support and resources for the urban food movement…following on the success of the pilot project, the urban ag program was born… The Urban Ag Program is on the agenda for the Open Classroom on March 15 to go into further detail.
- Examples of Urban Farming in Massachusetts: The Food Project Freight Farms Regional Environmental Council (REC) Mobile Farmer’s Market
- A 2010 act amended the Massachusetts General Law to create a 17-member Food Policy Council to: Develop recommendations to advance food systems for the Commonwealth Increase production, sales and consumption of MA grown goods Develop and promote programs that deliver healthy MA grown foods to MA residents The FPC is represented by 4 legislators, six state agencies and 7 appointed experts.
- 1. Reduce food waste through state programs for farmers, restaurants, processors, schools and other institutions, and consumers. A current focus is to support the Commercial Food Waste Ban by developing policies and programs to divert food waste from landfills. Support for donation programs, conversion of food waste to animal feed, composting, and the development of anaerobic digestion facilities are also priorities. 2. Support increased purchases of Massachusetts grown and produced foods. The current focus is to support increased purchases of local foods by state institutions, public and private educational programs, and meals programs. Increased funding for state agency and institutional food procurement and standardized contract language for state and municipal purchasers, are also priorities. 3. Support programs that facilitate access to healthy foods for underserved communities. A current focus is to provide support to leverage the Department of Transitional Assistance’s USDA/FINI grant award, known as the Healthy Incentives Program, which will increase use of SNAP at farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets, and for community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, providing fresh, healthy food for low-income families, and increasing sales for Massachusetts farmers. Additional examples include the MA Food Trust and the MA Food Ventures Program. 4. Support regulatory policies and practices that allow farms and other food system businesses to thrive. The current focus is to develop circuit rider positions at state regulatory agencies, subject to appropriation, to provide food business guidance in a non-enforcement capacity in an effort to aid in compliance. Additionally, circuit riders will provide support and guidance to local regulatory agencies. 5. Support and grow local food system infrastructure. The current focus is to target opportunities for growers, food processors and distributors to access capital, incentives, and technical assistance though agency partners and programs, private organizations, and universities. 6. Support expanded educational opportunities for farmers and other food system workers. The current focus is to support Massachusetts higher education, UMass Extension, and vocational technical schools by developing and offering appropriate curricula to meet food system needs
- The MA FPC’s first meeting of 2017 focused exclusively on food waste. A white paper will be released, with recommendations from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic’s recent report on specific food waste policy recommendations for Massachusetts. The March 10th meeting with focus on increasing purchases of local food by institutions.
- Please check our website for meetings and opportunities to get involved.