MDAR awarded approximately $14.3 million in projects through a competitive proposal process for the LFPA and LFPA Plus programs. These funds are awarded to organizations that are growing or creating professional relationships with socially disadvantaged farmers to expand local offerings for their distribution networks.
See map and descriptions below for more information about each awarded organization.
List of Awarded Organizations - 2023
MDAR received and awarded approximately $7.1 million in projects through a competitive proposal process. These funds are awarded to organizations that are growing or creating professional relationships with socially disadvantaged farmers to expand local offerings for their distribution networks.
Amherst Survival Center – Amherst, MA
Award: $430,000
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The Amherst Survival Center (ASC) will strengthen the local food system by connecting local producers with area residents facing food insecurity. Through their Farm to Pantry Project, ASC aims to provide fresh, local, and culturally appropriate food for free to roughly 2,600 individuals monthly over the life of the grant. Because of the strong existing infrastructure, the ASC is able to put the vast majority of their award towards food purchasing with a focus on socially disadvantaged farmers, boosting the local agriculture sector as well. Through partnerships and conversations sustained before, during, and after the grant, strategies will be identified to maintain the work beyond the grant.
Berkshire Grown – Great Barrington, MA
Award: $750,000
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Berkshire Grown is collaborating with Berkshire Bounty to expand their Berkshire Farm to Food Access Partnership working across western MA. This successful partnership is the regional Buy Local group and works to provide a consistent outlet for locally grown produce and, through a strong network of existing partnerships across Berkshire County, deliver the produce to nearly two dozen sites.
Boston Area Gleaners - Acton, MA
Award: $750,000
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Boston Area Gleaners (BAG) will get fresh, local products to areas that need them most. By leveraging existing infrastructure, BAG will focus on the immediate needs of families who lack access to fresh produce while supporting small, socially disadvantaged farmers. The services BAG offers to growers and consumers are felt across the state through offering pick-up, storage, and delivery of fresh, local products.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension - Barnstable, MA
Award: $750,000
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Cape Cod has a unique food system, and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension (CCCE) is designed to support all producers. Through their Land and Sea Initiative, CCCE will purchase fresh-grown produce from a network of land farms across Cape Cod, along with seafood caught by Cape Cod fishers. CCCE will utilize the broad range of products available on Cape Cod to meet the diverse needs and wants of the consumers at food pantries and meal sites across the Cape.
Coastal Foodshed - New Bedford, MA
Award: $750,000
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Coastal Foodshed is partnering with multiple members of the South Coasts' emergency food network to distribute fresh, local food to residents across the region. Coastal Foodshed is able to leverage its existing infrastructure and connections as the region's food hub to efficiently coordinate sources and distribute large volumes of local food to those who need it.
Gardening The Community - Springfield, MA
Award: $177,000
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Gardening, the community will distribute fresh, local vegetables through a CSA to five distribution sites in the greater Springfield area. This will provide produce to over 300 individuals in environmental justice communities throughout the life of the grant. Gardening the Community plans to expand its purchasing base, supporting local, socially disadvantaged farmers to get into commercial wholesale for the first time in some cases.
Grow Food Northampton - Florence, MA
Award: $300,000
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Grow Food Northampton (GFN) will partner with local, community-owned food cooperative River Valley Co-op (RVC) on the Nourishing Our Community Project to purchase produce from a strong network of socially disadvantaged farmers and distribute this food across the greater Northampton area. GFN and RVC will use a variety of distribution models, including working with existing distribution partners, a free mobile market, and their Food for All program. Additionally, they plan to purchase from lessees on the GFN Community Farm, most of whom self-identify as socially disadvantaged.
Growing Places - Leominster, MA
Award: $487,687
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Growing Places is spearheading the LFW Fresh Box Plus program to continue the success of the Fresh Box program started by the Local Food Works (LFW) coalition of more than 130 local food systems partners in North Central, MA. This partnership will bring the food directly to the consumer through a network of distribution partners and mobile distribution sites.
Hilltown CDC – Chesterfield, MA
Award: $200,000
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The Hilltown CDC will utilize the LFPA Plus funds to expand their successful free “Help Yourself” fridge, CSA shares, and food pantry distributions. Hilltown CDC plans to utilize the existing infrastructure and systems in place at partner farms, providing them the funding to offer their CSA shares to low-income community residents and direct connections with local food pantries.
Merrimack Valley Food Bank - Lowell, MA
Award: $50,000
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The Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB) will use LFPA Plus funds to purchase and distribute food year-round to their network of 100 food pantries, meal sites, temporary residence homes, and many other food distribution sites in 33 communities throughout the Merrimack Valley. Being small, MVFB is able to meet consumer needs and wants through its diverse network of growers across the region.
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass) – Barre, MA
Award: $717,115
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The Northeast Organic Farming Association, MA Chapter (NOFA-MA) will expand its successful CSA based FarmShare program started last year. NOFA-MA will focus on Springfield and Berkshire County as they connect consumers directly with socially disadvantaged farmers through CSA-style boxes. By providing transportation, NOFA-MA is able to expand the reach of consumers for the farmers and provide more options to the consumers.
Northampton Survival Center – Northampton, MA
Award: $50,000
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The Northampton Survival Center (NSC) will expand its food purchase and distribution power through new partnerships with farmers, producers, and food distribution centers with the LFPA Plus funds. NSC is an emergency food provider with a network of pantries across greater Northampton. With LFPA Plus funds, NSC will be able to provide consumers at various food distribution sites with more options and culturally relevant produce sourced from local farmers.
Nourishing the North Shore - Newburyport, MA
Award: $123,750
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Nourishing the North Shore (NNS) works to purchase and distribute food by delivering food to a network of consumer-facing organizations, a successful mobile market, and souring CSA-type boxes for direct farm-to-consumer food delivery. This three-pronged food delivery system allows NNS to meet consumers' needs as they arise and broaden their partnerships with farmers as they source various food items from farmers across Essex County.
The Salem Pantry – Salem, MA
Award: $515,000
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The Salem Pantry (TSP) acts as a direct-to-consumer food pantry, offers home delivery, conducts a mobile market, and distributes food to an array of smaller organizations across northeastern MA and the Merrimack Valley. By having a broad range of services offered to farmers and consumers alike, the LFPA Plus funds will be able to have a broad impact in Salem and the rest of the northeast region of the state. Through this grant, TSP is able to partner with more farmers in Essex County and create new partnerships with more farmers to offer more fresh, local produce to their consumers.
World Farmers – Lancaster, MA
Award: $750,000
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World Farmers will use their LFPA Plus award to continue their support of 60+ commercial farmers across their network. Many of these farmers are immigrants or refugees and came through the array of World Farmers programs. Their distribution efforts focus on low-income and food-insecure communities via consumer-facing partners, often the same communities the farmers live in.
YMCA of Greater Boston – Boston, MA
Award: $310,915
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The YMCA of Greater Boston (YGB) aims to grow its food distribution efforts by expanding its local produce options through greater collaboration with MA farmers and producers. Through 45 distribution partners, YGB will utilize a mobile market and grocery bag distribution system to bring fresh, local, and culturally relevant food to low-income communities across Boston.
List of Awarded Organizations - 2022
In 2022, MDAR awarded $7,260,000 in Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) grants to 16 organizations across the Commonwealth. The grants seek to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency through the purchase of domestic food from local and regional producers, by targeting purchases from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, and the distribution to underserved communities. The following are the LFPA grant recipients for 2023:
Berkshire Grown – Great Barrington, MA
Award: $550,000
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Berkshire Grown will strengthen purchasing relationships with socially disadvantaged farmers through their Berkshire Farm to Food Access Partnership Program to distribute to new and existing food sites. Berkshire Grown plans to establish an online ordering system, update purchasing contracts, expand the selection of local food and farm products, recruit volunteers for food delivery, prepare food storage locations, and finally distribute the food and farm products to underserved communities.
Learn more about Berkshire Grown.
Boston Area Gleaners – Waltham, MA
Award: $539,228
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Boston Area Gleaners aims to apply current best practices to targeted communities of socially disadvantaged and/or small growers and underserved consumers. Boston Area Gleaners will: determine which farmers within their network self-identify as socially disadvantaged and/or small; purchase crops from these growers through formal production contracts; support these growers in capacity building and wholesale market readiness; and donate the contract-grown fresh produce through their partner hunger-relief agencies.
Learn more about Boston Area Gleaners.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension – Barnstable, MA
Award: $450,530
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The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Food Access Program developed a multi-faceted initiative to support the critical food access needs of its disadvantaged populations throughout Cape Cod by: purchasing produce from local and regional farmers with an emphasis on socially disadvantaged growers in collaboration with Cape Abilities Farm; supporting the Cape Cod fishing industry by purchasing locally caught and processed haddock chowder and fish stew from Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance that will be available, at no cost, to socially underserved communities on Cape Cod through a strategically designed network of distribution channels; and strengthening the existing network of growers, food producers, social service organizations, underserved communities, and local volunteers to maintain a sustainable food access system.
Learn more about Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.
Coastal Foodshed – New Bedford, MA
Award: $697,121
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Coastal Foodshed will work through their existing network of more than 65 local farmers and local food entrepreneurs to purchase local meats, eggs, dairy, and pantry items to distribute free of charge at farmers market and mobile farm stand locations to increase awareness of, and foot traffic to, Coastal Foodshed’s locations. Through a robust marketing campaign, and the distribution of items free of charge, they plan to increase foot traffic to Coastal Foodshed’s locations where new customers will also have the opportunity to purchase other local foods and learn about the Healthy Incentives Program.
Learn more about Coastal Foodshed.
Eastern Woodlands Rematriation – Hull, MA
Award: $161,000
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The overarching goal of Eastern Woodlands Rematriation’s project is to strengthen and fortify indigenous foodways of New England. Through regional intertribal food hubs, this project will scale existing efforts of Eastern Woodlands Rematriation and enable tribal families, and disadvantaged individuals and communities throughout the Commonwealth to access fresh, nutritional and culturally relevant foods and products without worry of affordability and accessibility.
Learn more about Eastern Woodlands Rematriation.
Eastie Farm – East Boston, MA
Award: $539,032
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Eastie Farm will purchase local produce from farms primarily within 100 miles of Boston to create free weekly produce boxes for residents of East Boston, with an emphasis on subsidized housing communities and the underserved Orient Heights part of the neighborhood. The boxes will be primarily available during the harvest season, projected to be from May to November of 2023. The distribution will be accomplished through collaboration with the Orient Heights BHA benefits team, the Victory Gardens building management, Maverick Landing Community Services, and Grace Federated Food Pantry.
Learn more about Eastie Farm.
Greater Boston Food Bank – Boston, MA
Award: $500,000
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Greater Boston Food Bank will purchase seafood from seafood producers and distributors in Massachusetts. With a greater capacity to purchase seafood, they will support the needs of two important constituencies in the Commonwealth—those who are seeking hunger relief along with local fish producers and distributors. Through the purchase of 150,000–200,000 pounds of seafood, they will greatly increase the amount of seafood distributed through their network of 600 partnering agencies located in 190 communities in Eastern Massachusetts. This network includes food pantries, meal programs, homeless shelters, and other human services agencies. Seafood distributions will benefit diverse populations including adults, children, seniors, veterans, community health center patients, and students.
Learn more about Greater Boston Food Bank.
Grow Food Northampton – Florence, MA
Award: $398,159
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Grow Food Northampton will partner with local community-owned food cooperative River Valley Co-op to provide technical support to socially disadvantaged local producers and purchase products from them for distribution through their established programs, Community Food Distribution Project and Food For All, respectively, to low-income, food insecure households throughout the Northampton area.
Learn more about Grow Food Northampton.
Growing Places – Leominster, MA
Award: $749,577
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Growing Places will implement the Local Food Works Fresh Box program, which will strengthen agricultural supply chain resiliency in the 27 communities of North Central MA. Primary goals include: making local food purchasing from small and socially disadvantaged farmers a priority value by connecting farmers, consumers, and buyers; processing local food products for season extension and easy preparation; creating culturally responsible Fresh Boxes with local produce, herbs, dairy, eggs, and value added products for distribution; supporting socially disadvantaged and small farmers; and institutionalizing a cultural food working group to incorporate an equity lens into rebuilding the local food system.
Learn more about Growing Places.
Hilltown CDC – Chesterfield, MA
Award: $75,000
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Hilltown CDC will grow the “free-share” option currently offered and develop a “free-market” for in person shopping. The approach will not only increase food security for people in the region but will also create viable market opportunities for rural growers.
Learn more about Hilltown CDC.
Just Roots – Greenfield, MA
Award: $492,786
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Just Roots’ BE-LEAF: Building Equity for Local Eaters and Farmers program will connect local produce and proteins from Just Roots’ community farm and socially disadvantaged producers with members of underserved communities in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties. The two core program components include distribution of 100 free CSA shares and monthly distribution of 30 free DIY Cooking Kits, accompanied by cooking classes. The DIY Cooking Kits will contain local produce, proteins, and all the supplies needed to prepare a healthy meal.
Learn more about Just Roots.
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass) – Barre, MA
Award: $246,366
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NOFA will use funding to provide 150 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares to underserved communities in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and the Berkshires. This project will establish a new food distribution pathway through community partners embedded within the communities this project seeks to serve. Funding will be used to purchase CSA shares from socially disadvantaged farmers to give to community partners for distribution within their communities.
Learn more about Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass)
Pioneer Valley Workers Center – Northampton, MA
Award: $530,000
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The Pioneer Valley Workers Center’s People’s Pantry (La Despensa del Pueblo) will distribute local and regional produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and other healthy foods to over 9,350 immigrants, low-wage workers, people of color, underserved populations, and anyone else in need. They will partner with Massachusetts-based and regional producers, with an emphasis on supporting socially disadvantaged farmers, to bring farm-fresh food and its positive health benefits to these communities at monthly distribution sites in Hampden and Franklin County. Lastly, they will establish a new center in Turners Falls that will serve as a thriving community resource for food storage, distributions, and other training and events that support food justice and equity for underserved local residents.
Learn more about Pioneer Valley Workers Center.
Regional Environmental Council – Worcester, MA
Award: $81,200
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The Regional Environmental Council will coordinate the purchase and distribution of produce grown in Worcester County through partnerships with rural and urban producers and Main South area food pantries including Jeremiah’s Inn, El Buen Samaritano, and Catholic Charities. Produce will be purchased primarily from Dismas Family Farm, a program of Dismas House of Massachusetts, a charitable agency that manages a network of housing and social services that provide an integrated and unique approach to ensure the success of homeless and former prisoners in the Greater Worcester area.
Learn more about Regional Environmental Council.
Root NS, Inc. – Salem, MA
Award: $500,000
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Root NS, Inc. will build on and expand their Community Catering initiative, which was launched during the early days of the pandemic in response to regional food insecurity issues across the North Shore of Massachusetts and has grown through a network of partnerships with local farmers and nonprofit distribution sites. The project will provide employment opportunities to socially disadvantaged young people, who will prepare and deliver the meals made from local produce and ingredients.
Learn more about Root NS, Inc.
World Farmers – Lancaster, MA
Award: $750,000
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World Farmers’ project will expand sales for over 60 commercial immigrant and refugee farmers in World Farmers’ programs and other farmers of color in their network, while addressing food security and serving communities in environmental justice communities across five counties in Massachusetts. Conducted in partnership with eight community partners, the project goals are to: partner with and support refugee and immigrant farmers and farmers of color in Massachusetts to increase their crops sales through their participation in the LFPA program; and increase access to local, fresh, and culturally important vegetables and proteins for low-income or food impoverished communities.
Learn more about World Farmers.
| Date published: | December 29, 2022 |
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| Last updated: | December 29, 2022 |