Seeking nominees for 2019 Local Hero Awards
Since 2003, CISA has recognized farmers, institutions, businesses, and everyday community members whose work helps sustain local agriculture. Awardees will be honored at CISA’s annual[...]
2018 Legislative Hero Awardee: Steve Kulik
CISA is proud to present Representative Stephen Kulik with a special Legislative Hero Award in honor of his 25 years of unwavering support for local[...]
2018 Local Hero Awardee: Richie Davis
Richie Davis has been reporting on Franklin County and the surrounding region for over 40 years, but it’s not just longevity that makes him stand[...]
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2018 Local Hero Awardee: Bonita and Dan Conlon, Warm Colors Apiary
Bonita and Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield have set a high bar for local honey production, educated countless new beekeepers, and[...]
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2018 Local Hero Awardee: Joanne Lennon, Chicopee Public Schools
Joanne Lennon, the Food Service Director at Chicopee Public Schools, has built a farm to school program in the Chicopee school district that stands as[...]
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2016 Local Hero Awardee: Frank Martinez Nocito
Frank Martinez Nocito, Assistant Director of SNAP Nutrition Education for the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), has devoted his career to advocating for public health. Over the[...]
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2016 Local Hero Awardee: Barstow’s Longview Farm
Owned by the Barstow family since 1806, Barstow’s Longview Farm has undergone many changes over the course of two centuries. The current generation has preserved the legacy of[...]
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2016 Local Hero Awardee: Oona Coy and Ben James
In 2008, after scouting the town for months by bicycle for the ideal location, Ben James and Oona Coy settled on the plaza nestled between Thornes Marketplace[...]
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2015 Local Hero Awardee: Randall’s Farm
As suburban housing replaced the farm fields of her youth in Hampden County, Karen Randall steered Randall’s Farm and Greenhouse through multiple transitions,[...]
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2015 Local Hero Awardee: Enterprise Farm
Enterprise Farm was one of the first Massachusetts farms to be certified organic in 1987, just after owner Dave Jackson graduated from UMass.[...]
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2015 Local Hero Awardee: Appalachian Naturals
With a motto of “Local agriculture is everyone’s business,” Kristin Barry and Shelly Risinger of Appalachian Naturals have built a thriving local company[...]
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2014 Local Hero Awardee: Adams Farm
A multi-generational farm business that has operated on family land in Athol since 1946, the Adams Farm Slaughterhouse works with local meat producers, providing a[...]
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