CISA at Ag Day at the State House

Last week, CISA staff joined dozens of other agricultural organizations and farmers at the State House to talk with legislators about issues important to the agricultural community. To learn more about CISA's budget priorities and Ag Day, click here.  

Thanks for a great Annual Meeting!

On March 27th, 150 people joined us to vote in new Board members, celebrate CISA's successes, hear from new Ag Commissioner John Lebeaux, and sound off on the MA Food Systems Plan. We also honored our 2014 Local Hero awardees: Adams Farm, Maple Corner Farm, and Squash Inc. Read about the event here.

Welcome to our new Board members

At CISA's Annual Meeting, we voted in four new Board members: Al Griggs, a longtime Pioneer Valley community leader; John Kokoski, dairy farmer and owner of Mapleline Farm in Hadley; Gene Kosinski, owner of Kosinski Farm in Westfield, and Matt Perpetua of Baystate Medical Center's Food and Nutrition Services. Read all about them, and all of CISA's Board members, here. 

Spring Meet and Greet for farmers, producers, and wholesale buyers
Monday, April 20, 5:30-8:30pm
Mi Tierra Restaurant, 48 Russell Street, Hadley
Farmers, buyers, and specialty producers, join us for this networking event and get an in-depth look at beverages made with locally grown ingredients. Andrea Stanley from Valley Malt and Liz L'Etoile from Four Star Farms will talk about growing local hops and processing malt from local grains. Local Hero beverage producers will be offering samples of their products and answering questions. All Local Hero farmers are invited, as are restaurant owners, chefs, produce managers, and other buyers, so come build new relationships! Light refreshments will be provided by Mi Tierra. Please RSVP to Devon Whitney-Deal or call 413-665-7100, ext. 22 by Friday, April 17th.   

Have a thirst for local? Join us for a Cidery and Winery Tour!

Sunday, May 3, 1-4 pm
Artifact Cider in Springfield and Raven Hollow Winery in Westfield
You're invited for a behind-the-scenes tour of two Hampden County producers. The tour begins at 1pm at Artifact Cider in Springfield. Learn how Jake and Sohan, cidermakers at Artifact Cider, are reviving American craft cider and taste some of their latest re-inventions. Next we'll head to Raven Hollow Winery in Westfield to taste some of their wines, made from fruit they grow next door at Kosinski Farms. Open to everyone, but please RSVP to Judy Hall, 413-665-7100, ext. 29.

CISA Membership has its Benefits

CISA Community Members, don't miss out on these special spring discounts at Local Hero farms. Not a member? Join here! 

From now until June 7th, visit Couch Brook Farm in Bernardston and save 10% with your Community Member card on healthy, organic plants that thrive in New England growing conditions, including hanging baskets and many varieties of vegetable, herb, and cut flower starts. Couch Brook Farm is open now through June 7th, Thursday through Sunday 9am - 5pm.

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance has been selected to receive a multi-year Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant award. Recognizing that all Americans fall well short of the servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the grants will test incentive strategies to help SNAP participants better afford fruits and vegetables. CISA is pleased to be one of the many partners who will be working throughout the state on this project. Read more. 

Visit CISA's events page for events, workshops, conferences and more. Here's a sample of the activities coming up: 

LAND: the foundation of a healthy  food system
PVGrows Spring Forum

April 15, 9am-3pm

Mill 1, Open Square, Holyoke

How does access to farmland fit into a vision of creating a healthy, resilient, and equitable food system? Sign up for PVGrows' 2015 Spring Forum to learn about the important role that secure access to land plays in our food system - and how we can all work to strengthen this foundation.  Details and registration here. 

Earth Day at Hampshire College

April 22-April 23 

Hampshire is hosting a multi-day celebration of Earth Day this year, including a panel with David Ott, Andy Kendall, and CISA staffer Margaret Christie on April 22nd at 4pm. Details about this and the full schedule here.