Play ball! We’re excited to host our second edition of Farmer Appreciation Night at the Ballpark on September 5th. It’s a great opportunity to take a break from the harvest, enjoy an evening out with family, friends, and farmers while enjoying the WooSox game. We reserved our own deck (up to 150 tickets) which includes a buffet and Friday night fireworks. We hosted this event in 2022 and had a wonderful night! Dairy farmers were the biggest group of attendees then, let’s see which group of farmers turns out in the biggest numbers this year! Please reserve your tickets to the event here and extend the invitation to your friends and family.
In July, we celebrated the retirement of MDAR’s Chief of Staff, Alisha Bouchard, after 37 years of dedicated service to the Commonwealth. Many of you know that Alisha kept things running smoothly behind the scenes and was a tremendous resource of knowledge regarding the department’s programs. We are currently in the process of hiring Alisha’s backfill and look forward to welcoming our next Chief of Staff in the coming months. We wish Alisha well in her “rewirement” and thank her for the many years of laughs, hard work, and kindness towards all.
With Alisha, her partner Beth, Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff, and their daughter Ali and her boyfriend Fio during Alisha’s retirement party
In late June, I was delighted to visit the Framingham Farmers Market along with MDAR’s Farmers Market Program Coordinator David Webber. We were hosted by Market Manager Bill Sell and joined by Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, representatives from Senate President Spilka’s office, and Edith Murnane of MA Farmers Markets Association. The market made a strong effort to recruit more farms this year and now has eight farm vendors! We talked with the farms to learn more about their growing season and market channels, and visited several other vendors during the evening. It was a great way to start the farmers market season!
The team that makes the Framingham Farmers Market such a success!
The following week, Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff and I traveled to Westport, MA for a tour and meeting with the team at Meatworks processing facility. We were hosted by Board President Frank Ashley and several members of the board to learn about the challenges the facility has faced, how they are proactively addressing them and responding to farmers’ needs, and the future of the facility. We were joined at lunchtime by farmers that utilize the processing services and learned more about the critical services Meatworks provides for the state and region. Through thoughtful stewardship and strategic planning, the business is moving in a positive direction.
To kick-off National Ice Cream Month, we celebrated the launch of the second edition of the Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle. EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper, members of the EEA, DCR, and MDAR teams, Ag Youth Council members, and MA Dairy Promotion Board representatives joined us for a tour of the farm, hosted by Great Brook Farm operators Mark and Tamma Duffy. The farm sits on DCR’s Great Brook Farm State Park, the only state park that has an active dairy farm. The facility utilizes robotic milkers and hosts over 100,000 visitors throughout the year for farm tours and visits to their ice cream stand. After a great tour of the farm, we all enjoyed a scoop of our favorite flavor of ice cream!
With State Senator Michael Barrett, Tamma and Mark Duffy, EEA Secretary Tepper, and DCR Deputy Commissioner Kendra Amaral
Farm Bureaus across the state have been hosting summer picnics/meetings and it’s been a great opportunity to meet new members while reconnecting with current members. Franklin County/Hampshire County Farm Bureaus hosted their summer picnic at Four Star Farm in Northfield, Worcester County Farm Bureau’s was held at Carlson Orchards in Harvard, and Berkshire County Farm Bureau held their meeting at R&R Wirtes Grain in Lanesborough. Each venue offered an opportunity to learn more about how the farms have diversified through multiple generations and are continuing to adapt to meet the needs of consumers/customers. Never did I think I would get to help bag and sew feed for dairy cattle but we had the opportunity at Wirtes Grain and it was a fun experience…and no one was harmed in the process!
MA Farmers Market Week kicked off on August 3rd at the SoWa Farmers Market in Boston. Throughout the week, members of our team, along with legislators, MA Farmers Markets Association, and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) attended the Worcester Out to Lunch Farmers Market and Sheffield Farmers Market. The visits highlighted the unique character of the communities they serve and the vital role that farmers markets play as food access points. Thank you to the market managers, volunteers, city/town officials, and vendors that help over 220 markets thrive throughout the state.
Checking out the wonderful locally grown produce at SoWA Market in Boston’s South End
There was timely news to share during Farmers Market Week regarding the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). HIP will restore its tiered benefit structure effective September 1, 2025, providing more support for larger households to access nutritious food while strengthening Massachusetts’ local agricultural economy. HIP helps low-income SNAP households get more fruits and vegetables at participating local farms by adding state funds to eligible EBT card purchases, up to a monthly limit. This is welcome news for HIP vendors and recipients, at a time when the federal government has significantly reduced funding for food security and nutrition programming.
The first of several Buy Local tours started with Berkshire Grown with ideal weather conditions for farm tours. The Berkshire Grown team organized tours to Second Drop Farm (family-owned pick-your-own berry and flower farm) and Red Shirt Farm Store (small, diversified vegetable farm with new on-site farm store that features many local products) in Lanesborough, Multicultural Bridge’s Solidarity Farm (1.5-acre farm dedicated to food security and food sovereignty), and the Sheffield Farmers Market. The theme of the tours focused on planning and how the farms are diversifying and/or updating their business plans for continued growth.
The second annual MA Urban Ag Week was held August 10-16 and doubled in the number of participating organizations! MDAR’s Urban Ag Coordinator, Rose Arruda, did an incredible job in supporting groups that organized events throughout the week to showcase the importance of local food production and access, as well as community building. We started the celebrations at Mack Park Farm in Salem alongside Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, as she was instrumental in supporting the farm and establishing this thriving community site in 2020 during her time as Mayor of Salem . The farm was bursting with fresh produce, a greenhouse funded through MDAR’s Urban Ag Grant, a composting site, and seating for community members to enjoy the farm year-round.
With Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, Matt Buchanan, Kerry Murphy, Patrick Schultz, and Salem Mayor Pangallo
Fair season is in full swing and our team has been attending many of the forty agricultural fairs across the state. I had the opportunity to visit the Hampden County 4-H Fair and MA State 4-H Dairy Show to talk with youth about their project animals and see them in action. As a 4-H alum, I know the hard work that takes place behind the scenes to get their animals “show ready” and patience, perseverance, and humility as well. Most recently, I’ve visited the Westfield Fair and Marshfield Fair, who both had great participation in their Exhibit Halls and in their agricultural competitions. We’ve also had a presence at Bolton Fair, Hardwick Fair, Heath Fair, and Middlefield Fair, with team members enjoying connecting with fair managers and exhibitors. This weekend, Winton and I will be headed to Cummington Fair and are looking forward to seeing some of you there!
At the invitation of Prince Edward Island (PEI) Minister of Agriculture Bloyce Thompson, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal, Maine DACF Policy Director Emily Horton, and I visited the island to learn more about their agriculture sector and areas of shared interest. We toured several operations, including The Handpie Company, a creative food manufacturing facility; Fromagerie PEI, an artisanal cheese dairy; and a seed potato farm in partnership with the PEI Potato Board. The trip also included meetings with the Honorable Rob Lantz, Premier of PEI, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action Gilles Arsenault and Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sports and Culture Zack Bell, to discuss shared challenges and opportunities related to climate resilience, economic development, and agricultural innovation. I’m grateful for the hospitality and kindness of Minister Thompson and his team, and look forward to continuing our strong partnership for the advancement of our farming communities.
With PEI Minister of Agriculture Bloyce Thompson, ME Commissioner Beal, Policy Director Emily Horton, and PEI industry representatives
MA Association of Dairy Farmers’ (MADF) Annual Summer Picnic was held at Smith’s Country Cheese in Winchendon. The meeting featured updates on state and federal legislation, the milk market, and from partner organizations such as MA Farm Bureau, Helena Chemical, and USDA-FSA, and concluded with a tour of the farm. It was also a special surprise to see our friend Dave Hanson visit for lunch and catch-up with attendees throughout the afternoon. Dave is now back at home continuing his recovery after several months of rehabilitation following his surgery in January. We were grateful to see his smile and hear his laughter echo from the tent.
The 40th Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest was held earlier this week at the Boston Public Market. It’s always a fun event and great opportunity for farmers across the state to showcase their harvest in four categories: slicing, heirloom, cherry, and heaviest. Tomatoes are a major part of the agricultural economy in the state, with Massachusetts farmers producing approximately 5 million pounds of tomatoes each year valued at about $12 million. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Cucurbit Farm in Acton (slicing), Upper Hand Farm in Beverly (cherry), Red Fire Farm in Montague (heirloom), and Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon (heaviest). Thank you to the New England Vegetable & Berry Growers Association and the Boston Public Market for their support of the event.
With Award Recipients from Langwater Farm, Verrill Farm, Upper Hand Farm, and Grant Family Farm
On July 17th, Governor Healey signed Executive Order No. 643: Establishing the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force to address the impacts of federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and develop long-term, sustainable solutions. I have the privilege of serving as EEA Secretary Tepper’s designee and Co-Chair of the Task Force along with Allison Bovell-Ammon, Assistant Undersecretary for Children & Family Services at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and Alana Davidson, Director of Communications at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education (EOE). The Task Force is comprised of a cross-section of state agencies, legislators, non-profits, emergency food system organizations, and private sector representatives. The first meeting of the Task Force was held earlier this week and will continue to meet over the next several months to develop recommendations.
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association’s (CCCGA) Annual Summer Meeting was held at Oiva Hannula & Sons in Carver with over 500 growers, legislators, and stakeholder partners in attendance. The meeting included a trade show to highlight the latest on-farm technologies, technical assistance, and resources available to support growers, with a strong increase in the number of participating vendors. It was interesting to learn more about the utilization of drones to improve efficiencies and precision in fertilizer and pesticide applications, as well as reduce environmental impacts. The meeting is a great opportunity to connect with industry members before the harvest begins and learn about the latest news, how the season has been progressing, and grower needs with respect to their businesses. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients and thank you to the retiring Board members for their many years of service to the industry!
In three weeks, The Big E will be starting and our MDAR team will be busy managing the Massachusetts State Building on the Avenue of States. Building Manager Fran Pearson and Assistant Building Manager Heather LaBonte have been working behind-the-scenes to get the building ready for “showtime” and onboarding several new vendors, including Cindy’s Drive-In (ice cream products), Crème Bru La (crème brulee), Ground Up (baked goods), It's Kelewele 31 (African-fusion cuisine), Rutto Bats (handcrafted baseball bats), The Love Mich Collection (coffee coozies), and Wicked Fruitful (small batch, artisanal & gourmet products). For a full list of this year’s vendors, please visit: Massachusetts State Exposition Building Exhibitors | Mass.gov.
We hope to see you at the WooSox game and more upcoming events this fall! In the meantime, we’ll continue to pray for rain and good conditions for the remainder of harvest season. Be safe, stay hydrated, and happy harvest!
Locally Grown and Proud,
Ashley