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Technical Assistance and Resource Programs
Massachusetts Agricultural Innovation Center Grant Awards
for 2007
$ 2,700,000.00 was released in grant funding in 2007 to commodity groups
and organizations that were developing and instituting innovative techniques
with a focus on the increased economic success for the agricultural community
in the commonwealth.
- Cranberry Bog Renovation-Innovation Program - Massachusetts cranberry growers selected through a competitive process
initiated by Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association will receive up to $10,000 per acre toward the total cost of $20,000 to $30,000 per acre for cranberry bog renovation. Renovation will increase yield and provide new opportunities for ancillary business development (e.g. new dried cranberry plant, cranberry concentrate plant) and opportunities for reinvestment.
- Adams Family Slaughterhouse – Funds will be put toward rebuilding a USDA-inspected slaughterhouse in Athol that burned to the ground in December. As one of only two facilities available to Massachusetts livestock operations, a restored Adams Family Slaughterhouse will help small to mid-sized livestock producers capitalize on the demand for locally produced meat.
- Massachusetts Shellfish Aquaculture Innovation Consortium – This funding will strengthen a collaborative effort between Massachusetts shellfish growers, the Northeastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Center, and the Southeastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Center. Their efforts will promote visibility and acceptance of Massachusetts cultured shellfish, refine innovative hatchery and grow-out techniques, and provide educational and industry development opportunities.
- Feed, Nutrient, and Other Alternatives for Dairy and Livestock Farms – This University of Massachusetts project will develop management strategies to achieve increased grain production and provide guidelines to optimize nutrients in feed, resulting in cost savings and greater efficiency in Massachusetts dairy and livestock production.
- Integrating Pasture Management – Another UMass project will produce a range of tools and management practices that will contribute to improved economic and environmental conditions associated with pasture-raised livestock. Primary tasks include assessing forage species for varying soil conditions, increasing energy utilization from grazed and supplementary forages, and assessing feeding and watering systems.
- Building Infrastructure for Massachusetts Farms – Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), a nonprofit organization that links farmers and communities in western Massachusetts, will develop business development opportunities for bagged salad greens and Massachusetts-produced organic and conventional dairy products, capitalizing on rising consumer demand for fresh, local agricultural products.
- Ethnic, Immigrant, and Refugee Farmer Business Training and Technical Assistance – Nuestras Raices, a nonprofit organization based in Holyoke, will engage the Commonwealth’s large and growing immigrant, refugee, and ethnic populations in producing and consuming Massachusetts farm products by providing farmer training, technical assistance and support; outreach and marketing to urban ethnic populations, as well as food entrepreneurship training. These efforts will allow greater access to ethnic crops and expand the farm business capacity of targeted ethnic populations.
- Sustainable Pollination Strategies – Working with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ chief apiary inspector, this University of Massachusetts project will work to address concerns related to reduced pollination capacity for cranberry production and examine alternatives that could be available in the event of catastrophic loss of traditional honey bee pollination.
- Demonstration Small-Scale Farm Wine, Cider, and Juice Production Facility – This project will develop a small-scale winery and cider production facility at UMass–Amherst’s Cold Spring Orchard Research and Education Center, to be used to develop innovative methods for wine, juice and cider production optimized for Massachusetts, produce technical and instructional publications for Massachusetts growers, and host workshops and demonstrations for establishment of prospective farm wineries. This project will capitalize on growing public interest in and opportunities for fruit, berry, and grape producers to diversify and add value to their agricultural products.
- Mobile Poultry Processing Unit Training and Replication – Community Teamwork Inc., a Lowell–based nonprofit organization, will, in conjunction with the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and New England Small Farm Institute, create a Mobile Poultry Processing Unit to meet current and growing demand from small- to mid-scale poultry producers for on-site processing.
Massachusetts Agricultural Marketing Grant Awards:
The Department recently awarded $150,000 in agricultural marketing grants
to the following organizations. Proposals were requested that focused on
increasing consumer awareness of Massachusetts agriculture, or that offered
technical assistance to one or more Massachusetts agricultural entities.
Nearly $1 million was requested from 40 organizations.
- Boston Public Market Association, Boston, MA in cooperation with the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets, Waltham, MA for the development of a promotional campaign for “Transit-Oriented Markets”. This project will promote the 49 farmers’ markets located near MBTA stops. The MBTA grid will be adapted to highlight stops that have farmers’ markets near them and promote websites where markets’ hours and locations can be found. Posters and produce bags with this information will be developed. Temporary directional signage for markets will lead consumers from public transit stops to nearby farmers’ markets.
- Bristol County Conservation District, Westport, MA, on behalf of the Dartmouth, Rehoboth, and Westport Agricultural Commissions. To fund Phase I of a program to support the transition of Massachusetts dairy farms to partial or full value-added production. Technical assistance will be provided to identify and confront the barriers to entry in terms of risk and finance, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and labor.
- Catamount Farmers’ Market, Shelburne Falls, MA. Funds will be used for the development and printing of the Catamount Farmers' Market recipe book.
- Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, MA. To assist in the promotion
of an artisan cheese and wine contest featuring products from Massachusetts.
- Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Greenfield, MA. To assist in the promotion of two featured events, Fiber Twist and Cider Day via the Internet and advertising materials.
- Great Barrington Farmers’ Market, Great Barrington, MA. Funds will be used for the construction of a website to promote the market.
- Groundwork Lawrence, Lawrence, MA. Funds will be used for outreach to restaurants to encourage them to shop at the Lawrence Downtown Farmers’ market and to outreach to the public through English and Spanish radio advertisements.
- Hatfield Agricultural Fair and Harvest Festival, Hatfield, MA. To assist in the start up of a new agricultural event in Hatfield.
- Massachusetts Farm Wineries and Growers Association, Lincoln, MA. To support the development of a website and educational vignettes to inform consumers about the growing, production and availability of Massachusetts fruit and grape wines.
- Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, Ashfield, MA. To fund a maple sugaring educational project for quality control and best management practices.
- Mass Woodlands Cooperative, South Deerfield, MA. Funds will be used to develop marketing materials and strategies to promote locally grown Forest Stewardship Council certified value-added products, to educate the public about buying local and building green, and to increase the economic potential of Massachusetts forest-based businesses.
- New England Apple Association, Hatfield, MA. To produce “Image of Apples,” which will supply a wide range of professional graphics for the Association’s print and electronic promotions, including the Internet; create archive of MA orchards and New England varieties; and become a reliable source of free, high-quality images of apples and orchards for farms, educational organizations and the general public.
- Northeast Organic Farming Association, Barre, MA. For the production of a local dairy product guide featuring organic and non-organic milk and value-added dairy products.
- Plymouth Farmers’ Market, Plymouth, MA. For the development of a website for the Plymouth Farmers’ Market.
- Quincy 2000 Collaborative, Quincy, MA on behalf of the Quincy Farmers’ Market for the development of a website for the Quincy Farmers’ Market.
- Revere Beach Partnership, Revere, MA on behalf of the Revere Beach Farmers’ Market. Funds will be used for farmers’ market banners, flyers, postcards, and to work with high school students to produce a farmers’ market video to be broadcast on local cable TV.
- Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership, Wareham, MA. Develop an online mapping tool that will store information about existing farm delivery routes to local sites and buyers so that buyers (and nearby farmers) can search for existing routes near them by day of week and time of day. Buyer can then find out which farms are already delivering nearby and farmers will be able to maximize their sales per route. This will result in providing accurate, intuitive and valuable information for rebuilding local Business to Business distribution routes.
- The Thanksgiving Harvest Festival at Red Apple Farm, Phillipston, MA. To promote the collective effort by farmers and locally owned businesses featured in the Thanksgiving Harvest Festival to consumers through radio advertising.
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Implementation of a Marketing Strategy to promote locally grown ethnic crops produced by Pioneer Valley Grower’s Association. The funds will go towards salary, labor, production costs for 7 acres of crops, phone marketing and product delivery.
- UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown. Develop a consumer survey of new apple varieties. Sample apples, analyze, and produce report findings, along with booklet that would list nurseries where trees could be purchased.
For fiscal year 2008 the Agricultural Innovation Center is working with Berkshire-Pioneer RC &D, Inc. along with USDA and the Natural Resource Conservation Districts to develop a Massachusetts Farm Energy Program. This program is designed to perform farm energy audits and to assist in the implementation of these audits on agricultural operations within the commonwealth. The goal of this program is to create strategies and opportunities for the agricultural operations in the Commonwealth for energy conservation and to tap into sources of renewable energy.
For more information, contact Daniel Rhodes, daniel.rhodes@state.ma.us,
617-626-1728.
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