CISA’s Budget and Legislative Priorities

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Priorities

Department of Agricultural Resources, MA Buy Local funding:  2511-0100

Through funding for the state’s Buy Local campaigns, CISA has been able to expand our outreach to consumers through our successful Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown^® program. Local business members overwhelmingly say that participation in this program leads to increased revenues and national research suggests that areas with active Buy Local campaigns have more robust sales, even in times of economic weakness.

The Mass. Coalition of Local Food and Farms, including CISA, is asking for a $1M increase to the Department of Agricultural Resources line 2511-0100, with the following language: “… provided further that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended to enhance the Buy Local effort in western, central, northeastern, and southeastern Massachusetts; provided further, that any buy local effort included in this item shall include locally harvested seafood including, but not limited to, fish and shellfish;”

Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Senior FarmShare: 9110-1900

Through the Senior FarmShare program, CISA plans to provide 700 low-income seniors in western Massachusetts with heavily subsidized access to 10 weeks of fresh vegetables grown by local farms.

CISA is asking for a $100,000 increase to the line item 9110-1900 of the Office of Elder Affairs with the language: “provided, that $100,000 shall be expended for the senior farm share program.”

Dept. of Transitional Assistance, Healthy Incentives Program: 4400-1004

The Healthy Incentives Program, which doubles the value of SNAP recipients’ purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers, improving health outcomes for vulnerable communities and increasing sales for local farms. CISA is asking for funding to allow the program to run year-round without interruption: $25,000,000. Download the HIP factsheet. 

MA Department of Agriculture, Food Security Infrastructure Grants: 2511-0111

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program provides funding for infrastructure that supports local food production and equitable access to food. We support an allocation of $25,000,000 to run the program this year.

CISA’s partners have identified legislative priorities laid out here:

• MA Farm Bureau 
• MA Food System Collaborative