MDAR’s First Annual Agricultural Resource Fair

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

Federal/State Partners Agencies:

• DESE (Farm to School)
• Fish & Game
• MOPC (Agriculture Mediation Program)
• UMass Extension
• USDA
  • FSA
  • NRCS
  • Rural Development
  • APHIS
  • Wildlife Service

Non-Profit Organizations (Stakeholders/Service Providers):

• MA Farm Bureau
• American Farmland Trust
• The Carrot Project (Third Sector New England)
• MA Farmers Markets
• MarketLink (Farmer and Farmers Market SNAP sign-up***).
• New Entry Sustainable Agriculture
• Franklin County Community Development Corporation
• Boston Food Hub

***Get your farm or farmers market authorized for SNAP at MDAR’s Resource Fair.

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:

• 9:00 am- MA Office of Public Collaboration - MA Agricultural Mediation Program
• 9:30 am -  USDA Rural Development - Sustainable Ag through Renewable Energy Efficiency and Value-Added
• 10:00 am - USDA Farm Service Agency: Farm Loan & Disaster Relief Programs
• 10:30 am - USDA NRCS: Programs overview: Farmer Opportunities
• 11:30 am - Department of Education (DESE) - Farm to School Sales, Food Literacy & Education in the Classroom
• 12:00 pm -  American Farmland Trust - Soil Health & Urban Farming
• 12:30 pm - Mass Farmers Markets: Why Sell at Farmers Markets?
• 1:00 pm - MarketLink / USDA Food & Nutrition: SNAP/HIP Equipment Grants & Technical Assistance
• 1:30 pm - MDAR: MassGrown Map & MassGrown Exchange
• 2:30 pm - MDAR: Environmental Justice Services, Grants & Farmers Market Nutrition Programs

For more information please contact Mary Jordan, at mary.jordan@mass.gov or 617-459-8747.

Let us know you are coming by filling out this form by Wednesday, noon for a name badge. Registration is not required, but would be greatly appreciated to get an accurate count of attendees.