Food & Agriculture ~ resources

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) www.buylocalfood.com CISA is one of the leading organizations in the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts (and elsewhere in Western Massachusetts) promoting local agriculture.  Its “Local Hero” buy-local campaign has been used as a model throughout the country. "Local Hero / Buy Locally Grown" bumperstickers and signs are seen everywhere in the valley. CISA does cross-promotional marketing using their "Local Hero" mark, licensed to participating local farmers and stores. Its annual Farm Products Guide, available through their website, is one of the most comprehensive guides to local farmers and what they are marketing direct-to-consumer in western Massachusetts. CISA offers technical assistance to farmers, provides subsidies for elders for farmshares in local CSAs, conducts educational campaigns about the need to increase local agriculture and undertakes other farm promotional activities.

Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) - Massachusetts chapter. www.nofamass.org NOFA-Mass is a leading force for the promotion of organic agriculture in the region. Its annual 'must-attend' conferences bring together farmers, food activists and business pioneers to share ideas and practical lessons in farmcraft.

Nuestras Raices ("Our Roots"). www.nuestras-raices.org This nationally recognized Holyoke, MA organization promotes community gardening and urban agriculture in the heart of this Connecticut River mill town. It is also a lead organization in the Holyoke Food & Fitness Policy Council, which, using a multi-year, multi-million-dollar Kellogg Foundation grant, is promoting infrastructure and policy changes, and new community initiatives, to increase the community's access to healthy food and recreational opportunities.

Massachusetts Local Food www.massfoodcoop.org Massachusetts Local Food is a new web-based local food pre-order cooperative in Massachusetts, based on the successful model developed in Oklahoma. Consumer members can order and pay online once a month, for delivery from Massachusetts growers and food producers in one of three pickup locations in central Mass: Westminster, Sterling or Berlin. Producers deliver the pre-paid, pre-labeled food to a central delivery point in Westminster each month for distribution. Massachusetts Local Food carries locally produced vegetables, meats, cheeses, baked goods, honey and jams, and other food, as well as a variety of local crafts. They hope to create a year-round source of locally produced food.

Berkshire Grown www.berkshiregrown.org Berkshire Grown is a nonprofit promoting local food and agriculture in the Berkshires region of Western Massachusetts. Among other things, they publish a listing and map of grocers and retailers that carry locally grown food, available at www.farmfresh.org/food/retail.php?zip=01201.

Massachusetts Agricultural Commissions www.massagcom.org/index.htmlTheir website offers a useful listing of town agricultural commissions in Massachusetts, as well as an excellent guide to agricultural organizations in the state and beyond.

New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI). Belchertown, MA. www.smallfarm.org NESFI promotes small farms in the region through special programs and projects, a library of books and publications concerning small scale agriculture and an on-line agricultural bookstore.

(For regional land trusts and farmland conservation organizations, click on Land Trusts.)

Organizational resources, national

American Farm Land Trust www.farmland.org The American Farm Land Trust includes the American Farmland Trust Information Center (FIC), www.farmlandinfo.org, a “clearinghouse for information about farmland protection and stewardship.” This website provides examples of farm conservation legislation and model documents for easements and options to purchase farmland. It is also a very handy source of links, county by county, to land trusts and conservation groups in Massachusetts and around the country.

National Farmers Union (NFU). http://nfu.org/ The NFU is a national advocacy organization for farmers and farm families. One of its missions is to aid the formation of new agricultural cooperatives, alongside strengthening existing coops. The NFU has also been a critic of U.S. "free trade" policies and opposed the passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement. The Massachusetts chapter is headed by Annie Cheatham, well-respected in the Pioneer Valley for her prior work at the helm of CISA (see above), as well as other efforts.

Organic Consumers Association www.organicconsumers.org This Association is a national advocate for organic food & agriculture, stronger food safety standards, and fair trade instead of so-called "free trade." They also advocate for a preventative approach to health, and for alternative energy. Their website carries a wide-ranging daily compendium of news articles on these issues.

For media, books and articles on sustainable food & agriculture, click on Food & Agriculture, media & articles.

Page last modified: 8/7/09