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Who is CISA?

Who is CISA?

Hear about what we do from local farmers and people we work with every day!

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Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) strengthens farms and engages the community to build the local food economy.

CISA has been working for over 30 years to build a stronger, more resilient, and more just local food system. We envision a local food system where farms are viable, working conditions are fair and just for owners and workers, the environment is respected, and locally grown food is available for all.

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Whats Happening?

CISA's Farm Bike Tour: Pedal to Pasture

June 2 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us for CISA's first-ever guided farm tour by bike! Pedal to Pasture is an immersive and engaging experience for all ages and levels of experience. Riders will be led... more
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Off The Shelf Farm: Scaling Pastured Poultry on Leased Land

June 3 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Off the Shelf Farm started in 2018 with 750 hens, 150 broiler chickens and 13 lambs with a hand shake lease for 30 acres and no infrastructure. In 2024 the... more
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SNAP training for farm & farmers’ market staff (session three)

June 3 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Register here! Make sure your farm stand and farmers’ market staff are ready to accept SNAP this summer by having them attend this SNAP employee training. Employees will learn SNAP... more
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Homestead Carpentry

June 15 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Register here! There’s a time in every homesteader’s life when some carpentry is needed to build or repair something made of wood.  This workshop will provide a solid grounding in... more
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Hope Fest 24

June 15 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
A mini-music fest out on a beautiful lawn in beautiful Leyden (just north of Greenfield) to raise funds for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) and The Food Bank of... more
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Cricket Creek Farm: Dairy Production, Grazing, and Processing

June 17 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Cricket Creek is a grass-based dairy farm managed by a small team of collaborators.  The entire farm is comprised of about 500 acres, about 150 of which is hay fields,... more
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Spring into Summer at Making Food Fun!

June 19 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Enjoy the last day of spring at the South Hadley Farmers’ Market, at Buttery Brook Park. CISA will be there with another local food event for families. All ages are... more
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Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production

June 26 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us for a tour of this pasture based diversified livestock farm. Learn firsthand from owner Sara Davis about the economic analysis and decision-making processes she employs. Hear about the... more
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UMass Student Farm: Approaches to Pest Management

July 8 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
In our visit, we will tour the Agricultural Learning Center and discuss the Student Farm's approach to pest management. We will briefly discuss Integrated Pest Management, its meaning, and how... more
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Woven Roots Farm: Hand Scale Farming and Community Care

July 29 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Situated on 10 acres, our farm has 2.5 acres in cultivation in a permanent bed, hand-scale farming system. This system is managed by a dynamic team of 10 farmers that... more
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We the Land: A Gathering For Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, SWANA & PoC Earth Workers, Land Stewards & Farmers

August 2 - August 4
We The Land! A Gathering For Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, SWANA & PoC Earth Workers, Land Stewards & Farmers will take place on August 2nd-4th 2024 at Smith College in Northampton, MA.  We... more
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Water & Climate Change Twilight Meeting at Bardwell Farm

August 2 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Register here! Join UMass Extension and CISA for a climate-themed twilight meeting at Bardwell Farm in Hatfield, MA! Lisa McKeag will share findings from her recent water quality survey of... more
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Get the Latest News From CISA

Valley Bounty: Wanczyk Produce

Jackie Pliska, owner of Wanczyk Produce in Hadley, has dreams of keeping the farm stand business open year-round instead of 7 months each year. But first, she has to finish ... more
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NEPM: Mapleline Farm

  This week, Kaliis, Monte, and Phil meet the cows and people behind Mapleline Farm, a 120 year old dairy farm that’s a pillar of our local food community. They ... more
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NEPM: Reed Farm Poultry

. Kaliis, Monte, and Jacob visit Reed Farm in Sunderland, where farmers Kat Chang and Peter Laznicka teach them about:  Their humane methods for raising and processing chickens (once the ... more
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Valley Bounty: Western Massachusetts Fibershed

Western Massachusetts Fibershed is trying to lay the groundwork for a textile economy that supports local farmers and makes wool and other local fibers a viable option for crafters and ... more
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Valley Bounty: Marty’s Local Delivering Local Food from Farm Fields to School Lunches

May 4, 2024    Posted in: CISA News, CISA's Valley Bounty Column, Press Room
Nick Martinelli, CEO of Marty’s Local, began his career with a stint at the Farm School, in consideration of how he might participate in the local agricultural economy. While conducting ... more
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NEPM: Kosinski Farms

Sue and Elisa Kosinski from Kosinski Farms in Westfield visit Monte and Kaliis on this week’s Fabulous 413 on NEPM. Listen in on farming as a family, being a female ... more
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Valley Bounty: Gwydyr Farm

Every piece of farmland has its strengths and weaknesses. Often, the most successful farmers are those that learn to see their land’s potential clearly and build a business around it.   ... more
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NEPM: Great Falls Aquaculture

This week, Jacob takes Monte and Kaliis to visit Great Falls Aquaculture and the 180,000 barramundi raised there. They talk with general manager Spencer Gowan and hatchery manager Walker Wright-Moore ... more
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NEPM: D & R Farm

. Diane and Robert Rollins of D & R Farm in Hampden join the crew to talk about the love they put into farming AND all the ways they make ... more
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Valley Bounty: Fruit Fair Brings Relief to Food Desert in Chicopee

March 30, 2024    Posted in: CISA News, CISA's Valley Bounty Column, Press Room
Samaita (Sam) Newell is a first-generation immigrant from India. She met Jared Newell as a student in the five-college area. Following graduation and getting married, the young couple dreamed of ... more
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Featured Local Hero Profile

Be a Local Hero

Local Hero Profile: Bloom Woolen Yarns

October 18, 2023    Posted in: Specialty Producer Profiles, Local Hero Profiles
Local Hero Profile by Julia Mazzuchi, Local Hero Program Assistant  The buy local movement in the Valley not only encompasses... more
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