Events
March 2023
MDAR’s Viability Programs, Food Safety, & Environmental Grant Programs
MDAR will be hosting a free one-hour webinar on available funding opportunities for farmers for Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30th, 2024). Staff will cover the Ag Food Safety Improvement Program (AFSIP), the Climate Smart for Agriculture Program (CSAP), and the Viability Programs including the Farm Viability Enhancement Program (FVEP), the Matching Enterprise Grant for Agriculture (MEGA), and the APR Improvement Program (AIP). There will be an additional 30 minutes provided for a Q&A. Learn when the…
Find out more »Honing your Spring Employee Onboarding Plan
As you gear up for the arrival of new farm employees and seasonal crew members, let us help you put finishing touches on your employee onboarding plan. With an eye to Massachusetts-specific legal requirements and best management practices, this information-packed workshop will help you make sure you’re dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s from day 1 and building a solid groundwork for your employees during their initial days at your farm. CISA staffperson Kristen Wilmer will help you hone…
Find out more »Making Food Fun
Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring with a taste of seasonal local food! Enjoy the outdoors at this family event on Main Street in Greenfield.
Find out more »Insights on Vegetable Farm Financial Benchmarks
For the past couple years, CISA and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture have worked with a group of diversified vegetable farmers across the region to collect key farm financial metrics and develop benchmarks to help farmers evaluate the health of their vegetable operations. CISA staffperson Kristen Wilmer will share insights gained thus far from this project, including what the numbers suggest about the health and challenges facing diversified vegetable farms in our region, and how you can use key financial benchmarks to…
Find out more »UMass Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings – Amherst
This in-person training is aimed at fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. This course will also cover the Massachusetts Commonwealth Quality Program (CQP), a voluntary 3rd-party audit program. This training satisfies the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement for covered farms that “at least one supervisor or responsible party” completes “food safety training ……
Find out more »Free Webinar: Marketing Your Farm
Event // Free Webinar: Marketing Your Farm Wednesday, March 29, 12-1pm, ET The International Workshop on Agritourism is hosting a free webinar on Marketing Your Farm. A farm marketing consultant and two agritourism farmers will discuss the three essential components of marketing your farm, with a focus on agritourism. Learn the three essential components of marketing your farm, with a focus on agritourism. Myrna Greenfield is the “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing and the author of Marketing Your Farm:…
Find out more »Managing a Multicultural Farm Team in the Pioneer Valley
This online workshop will provide information on how to develop essential communication skills and manage conflict. It will give tools to oversee a multicultural team and emphasize strategies for decision-making to build an effective workplace culture and manage towards farm and family goals. The workshop is open to all, but most relevant to diversified farm owners, managers, or aspiring managers. Speaker: Mary Peabody recently retired from UVM Extension after 34 years as a Community and Economic Development Specialist. Mary now…
Find out more »Health Connector – Health Benefits Webinar and Q&A
Small businesses that need to offer affordable, quality health insurance to employees can learn about cost-effective options from the Sustainable Business Network’s health insurance partner, the Massachusetts Health Connector for Business, during this informative webinar session. Representatives from the Commonwealth’s health insurance exchange will detail how small businesses can find plans that provide great benefits with lower premiums, other opportunities to save money through federal tax credits and 15 percent rebates through the ConnectWell program, along with options that give…
Find out more »