Winter Fare comes to the winter farmers' markets! 
 
Each winter, CISA partners with winter farmers' markets in Amherst, Greenfield, Northampton, and Springfield to highlight the bounty of local food available in the deep of winter with special days full of cooking demos, activities for kids, music, and fun! And don't forget, the markets run all winter, and you can earn HIP at all of them.

Join us on these dates: 
Northampton Winter Farmers' Market
Winter Fare at the Northampton Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, January 13, 9am-2pm (that's this weekend!!)
Northampton Senior Center

Winter Fare at the Farmers' Market at Forest Park
Saturday, January 27, 10am-2pm
The Old Monkey House in Forest Park, Springfield
Winter Fare at the Greenfield Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, February 3, 10am-1pm
The Discovery School at Four Corners 
Winter Fare at the Amherst Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, February 10, 10am-2pm
Hampshire Mall, Hadley

Winter Fare at City Soul Farmers' Market
Saturday, March 10, 11am-2pm
Mason Square Library, Springfield 
Action Alert: support HIP today! 

HIP  (the Healthy Incentives Program) makes local fruits and vegetables available to more of our neighbors by providing a dollar-for-dollar match for SNAP dollars spent on fruits and vegetables purchased directly from local farms. To date the program has provided more than $2.9 million in fresh, healthy, local foods for low-income families, with that money going to support local farms. The program has far exceeded expectations, so action is needed to urge the legislature to include funding in their next budget to support the program.

Take action now! 

Springfield Schools' new Culinary and Nutrition Center 

Here's some exciting news: Springfield has broken ground on a 62,000-square-foot facility that will enable Springfield's public schools to serve from-scratch meals with a focus on local ingredients!

Read all about it in Business West

Thank you!

 
Click to watch!
As we enter CISA's 25th year of serving Pioneer Valley farms and building the local food economy, we want to say THANK YOU! It is because of your support, enthusiasm, and trust that CISA can provide resources, education, and marketing support to the hundreds of local farms in our region. We couldn't do it without you!

 
Watch our adorable "thank you" video
Local Hero enrollment is open now

Many Hands Farm Corps, Amherst
Farmers, restaurateurs, retailers, specialty producers, dining service and garden center reps: sign up now to reap the benefits of membership in CISA's Local Hero campaign!

Full details and online enrollment



Local Hero Profile: Foster's Supermarket

Surrounded by food trends and retail business models changing faster than ever before, three generations of family leadership and a commitment to selling the best local food has kept Foster's Supermarket in Greenfield going strong. More than 60 years after Bud Foster first opened his new grocery store for business, his grandsons Jason and Matthew Deane are proud to continue feeding Franklin county.


Read the full profile here
Farmers, look here!

Enrollment in CISA's winter workshop series, "Labor Management: Policies, Practices, and People," is now open! Addressing the issues of ethical management, staff retention, and effective communication and training tools, this series will help farmers build a productive, healthy, and just workplace that improves farm operations.

Details and enrollment

The Local Farmer Awards, offered by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in partnership with Big Y and generous sponsors, are now accepting applications from local farmers for awards of $2,500 for physical improvements to your farm.

Details and application

Support CISA while grocery shopping or having a beer! 

We're thrilled to have been selected by our friends at Northampton Brewery as one of the recipients of the Community Pint Night donations! Every Tuesday through June, when you enjoy a pint of their delicious beer, you'll receive a token worth 25 cents that you can choose to donate to CISA!

And we're excited to have been chosen as River Valley Co-op's January Green Card Program recipient! Shoppers receive a green stamp on a card for every shopping bag they bring themselves, or when they ride their bikes to the co-op, and the Co-op will donate a dollar to CISA for every full card they receive this month! 
 
Quick Links

Check out our press page for news stories about local farms and local agriculture, along with our weekly interview series on WRSI, monthly column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and more!
Go to press page

Farm tours, film screenings, workshops, special local meals -- there's always something happening in the Valley!
Go to events listing

Job opportunities, land, equipment.
Go to classifieds
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Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
CISA, 1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373