What's in season and where to find it!
We're entering the height of the season now! All the heat-loving crops, from tomatoes and eggplants to blueberries and raspberries, are just getting started. And of course, there's plenty of local meat available for grilling.

Pick-your-own farms are opening for the season! Find them on our online guide -- but make sure they're open before you go.

Enjoy the inspired meals that Local Hero chefs are creating with the local harvest -- this is a great time of year to dine out or order in. Visit your old favorites or find a new one!

Every week, we get a behind-the-scenes view on what's happening for two local farmers or other business owners in CISA's Valley Bounty column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette and in WRSI's Local Hero Spotlight interviews with Monte Belmonte. Check them out if you want the real scoop!
Don't miss out on HIP and Senior Farmers' Market coupons
If you have SNAP, you can earn an instant rebate on fresh fruits and vegetables purchased from participating local farms through HIP. Find vendors in the new HIP map.

Senior Farmers' Market coupons are beginning to roll in! If you are over the age of 60, or are disabled, living in senior housing, or meet the income guidelines set by the state of Massachusetts (find them here) you are eligible. Use these coupons at participating local farms and farmers' markets to purchase fresh fruits and veggies (even honey!). These coupons, valued at $2.50 each and distributed in 10-coupon booklets, are a great way to support our local farmers, food, and economy. Contact your local senior center for more information and check out the link to our evolving guide for your town's coupon distribution. Get ‘em while you can -- supplies are limited and these coupons expire on October 31st!
Hiring: Program Coordinator and TerraCorps Position
CISA is seeking a Program Coordinator to join the Farm Business Support Team with a focus on climate change adaptation and farm sustainability. We also have an opening for a Terra Corps Service Member to support HIP (Healthy Incentives Program). Please spread the word!

State budget update: good news for local farms
The legislature has passed the state budget, which now goes to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

A huge thanks to the entire western MA Delegation for your support; our local Food Caucus Senate Chairs Comerford, Gobi, and Lesser; and Representatives Blais and Carey and Senator Gobi for being lead sponsors on the funding of these important programs. Here are some highlights:

•   $13M for HIP (Healthy Incentives Program)
•   $750K for Buy Local funding
Opinion: COVID, climate change, and local farms
The COVID-19 crisis was impossible to ignore because of the speed with which it upended every facet of our lives, along with its duration, and the global scale of its devastation. We are living through the early stages of another crisis — one with no end and which is going to be global and all-encompassing in its scale, although its creeping impacts on most American’s daily lives makes it easier to ignore: climate change.

Local Hero profile: Granny's Place
If you're in Agawam and in need of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, or plants, Granny’s Place is the place to be. Currently in their 13th year as a farm, Granny’s Place provides fresh produce for Hampden County year-round. The Seldomridge family are customer-focused, and their farm creates a community that is as high-quality as their delicious fresh produce. They grow fresh tomatoes, peppers, squashes, greens, and more on their 300 acres of fields and in their greenhouses, all of which can be found in abundance at their Agawam farm store.

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!

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