Last Thursday, we sent out a statement calling on our supporters and donors to throw your financial support behind organizations that are working to dismantle white supremacy in the food system. You can read the full statement here.

We should have linked to local and regional leaders in this work, which include Gardening the Community, Springfield Food Policy Council, and Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust -- all doing vital work to dismantle white supremacy in the food system. Please learn more about each of them and donate to support their work.

We’re making a video to thank our local farms for all their hard work during the pandemic. You could be one of its stars!

We know that local farms and food businesses have stepped up for our community over the last few months, and we want to highlight the role that local farms are playing in peoples’ lives during this unique moment in history. We’re making a video to share some of these stories, and we want to hear yours! All you have to do is film a 30-90 second video of yourself using your phone or computer.

The plants grown at Dave's Natural Garden have been carefully selected for our local weather conditions, and they have been carefully managed in the greenhouse for maximum success in your garden. CISA intern Talia Brown visited in February and wrote about the greenhouses. The farm store also stocks their own veggies and eggs, plus local meat, cheese and more!

Did you miss CISA's online Annual Meeting last month? It featured a fascinating conversation from CISA staff and local farmers about how COVID-19 is impacting local farms and our local food system.

The spread of COVID-19 is shaping the coming year for CISA, the farms and businesses we work with, and our entire world in unexpected and still undetermined ways. Still, even as we look ahead to new challenges, our 2019 Annual Report gives us an opportunity to share the results of last year's work, and to reflect on how the foundation we’ve laid will guide us.

CISA's Emergency Farm Fund is now accepting applications from farms in Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties that have experienced income loss because of sales outlet closures or other disruptions due to COVID-19. The Emergency Farm Fund offers zero-interest loans to assist farmers and farm businesses struggling to meet their immediate financial needs because of market changes and closures. In partnership with the Franklin County CDC and the Pioneer Valley Grows Investment Fund, we are offering zero-interest loans up to $25,000.

The application deadline is June 22nd, 2020.

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!

Cooley Dickinson Health Care 

Curran and Keegan Financial 

Nonotuck Resource Associates 

Toward Harmony Tai Chi & Qigong 

Fitness Together 

Freedom Credit Union 

Please do not take images or content to use on your own site or project without CISA's explicit permission. Please feel free to link to our newsletter. Archives can be found at buylocalfood.org.