July 12: 1st Franklin District

July 25: 1st Hampshire District

August 14th: Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester Senate

Join the candidates for state legislative seats for a series of open discussions on our region's food insecurity and its underlying causes.This is your opportunity to ask questions of the candidates and learn how they intend to ensure everyone has access to healthy food. CISA is proud to co-sponsor these forums coordinated by The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

"(The falling number of dairy farms) is a profound loss that can't be understood only by the numbers: it's the loss of centuries of farming tradition and knowledge, of farmland and open space, and of an industry that has been the backbone of agriculture in our region. It's a deeply personal tragedy to the farm families who work hard every day, produce tons of high-quality milk, and are still faced with an impossible financial calculation."

"I see food as the ultimate gateway and connection to heritage, to geography, to family, and to each other," says Tonianne Paquette of FoodLove!, an in-home cooking and education business she created to help people feel good about the food they eat. "I really wanted to promote the connections that I feel through food, and I needed to find my own way of doing that." 

We're already looking forward to our annual harvest celebration and fundraiser, Taste the View! Save the date: this year's party will be held on Thursday, September 20th at Valley View Farm in Haydenville, a new-to-us location!