MDAR’s Agricultural Resource Fair 2025 - Smith

Non-profit agricultural stakeholders and service providers including our Federal-State Partners will be offering the Massachusetts agricultural farming community up-to-date timely resource information. The material presented will include material on services, funding information, and technical assistance programs to provide a ‘One-Stop Shopping’ resource opportunity for those that attend.

The Fair’s goal is to assist in making the agricultural industries in Massachusetts sustainable and viable. There is no fee to participate and locally sourced snacks will be provided throughout the day.

Exhibitors Include:

MDAR - Division of:

• Markets
• Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance (DACTA)
• Crop and Pest Services
• Animal Health
• EJ/Climate Change
• Food Safety / Health & Well-Being
• FMNP Signups - INFO

Federal/State Partners Agencies:

• UMass Extension
• MassHire
• USDA NRCS
• USDA Farm Service Agency
• Rural Development 

Service Providers:

• Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation
• Berkshire Grown
• Western MA Food Processing Center & Pioneer Valley Grows Investment Fund
• New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
• The Carrot Project
• Berkshire Agricultural Ventures
• New England Vegetable & Berry Growers Association
• MarketLink SNAP SIGNUP *** 
• Land For Good
• Massachusetts 4-H
• Legal Food Hub
• Mass Farmers Markets
• Farm Credit East
• CISA
• American Farmland Trust
• Essex County Greenbelt Association
• NOFA 

*** Get your farm or farmers market authorized for SNAP ***

At this drop-in information session, you can get your farm, farm stand or farmers market authorized for SNAP and receive your USDA FNS number. MarketLink staff will be on site to walk you through the process and assist with your application. Apply for MarketLink’s subsidized SNAP processing equipment or just stop by and get your SNAP processing questions answered. *For information on documents needed if you intend to get SNAP authorized, click here.

Presentations throughout the day:

• 10:00 am - Value-added products and PVG Investment Fund - Western MA Food Processing Center & Pioneer Valley Grows Investment Fund
• 10:30 am  - Grants, Technical Assistance, Conservation Programs - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• 11:00 am  - Farm Lending Programs - Farm Service Agency (FSA)
• 11:30 am  - Renewable Energy Programs, Labor Housing, Value-Added Grants - Rural Development (RD)
• 12:00 pm  - Farm Succession - Land For Good
• 12:30 pm  - 4-H Animal Science Opportunities - Massachusetts 4-H
• 1:00 pm  - Land Protection, Technical Assistance, Grants - American Farmland Trust
• 1:30 pm  - Microbes Project, Climate Smart Project - NOFA Mass
• 2:00 pm  - Farm Viability Program & Farm Succession - MDAR DACTA

For more information, please contact Mackenzie May, Mackenzie.A.May@mass.gov, or 857-283-6939.

Let us know you are coming by filling out this form. Registration is not required but greatly appreciated to get an accurate count of attendees.